


Where the Rising Demon Meets the Fallen Angel: Act I

by MaidenM



Series: Rising Demon [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Background Relationships, Dubious Consent Due To Identity Issues, Gore, M/M, Pining, Sexual Content, Violence, background anahardt, background highboom, one Gabriel two Jacks, several background characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-29 03:20:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11432076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaidenM/pseuds/MaidenM
Summary: Overwatch is an organisation made to fight the mounting threat of a demon invasion. As its Commander, Gabriel needs to find a way to save his world, endure the rumors concerning his heritage, protect his loved ones and maybe also get to kiss his best friend and long-time crush. When a demon offers him an alliance, he might just get his desires fulfilled.





	Where the Rising Demon Meets the Fallen Angel: Act I

**Author's Note:**

> Good grief this has been a blast and a trial! The r76bb has been a lot of fun and now, after months of work, here is my submission! I was teamed up with the amazing [Orenjimaru](http://orenjimaru.tumblr.com/) and [Orotea](http://orotea.com/tagged/gallery) who created some fantastic art, please check both of them out or look at the art they made [here](http://orenjimaru.tumblr.com/post/162795154785/my-pieces-for-the-reaper76-big-bang-for-a) and [here](http://orotea.com/post/162792949649/where-the-rising-demon-meets-the-fallen-angel-act)!
> 
> Thank you to the bb people for sticking with me, helping me when able and screaming along with me when not able and easing my mind when I realized I wouldn't be able to write everything I wanted and reassure me that I could make this Act 1! You're all the best ♡

Heavy rain clouds hung in the sky, dark and bringing with them the promise of an oncoming storm. The wind, sharp and cold like the blade of a scythe, tore through the branches of every tree as it travelled across the land. A figure tugged its robe closer to itself, barely hidden from the fury of nature in its meager shelter. Soft raindrops danced in the gust – light and gentle, yet with the heavy threat of the approaching downpour – as the figure pulled out a heavy tome and opened it in its lap. A soft finger touched the empty page, ethereal ink becoming visible under its presence to reveal the words hidden from prying eyes.

 

_'Be wary of Demons, my child, for they are what separates Beasts from Man. They are the whisper in your heart and the shudder at your back and they keep their life at the expense of others. They say demons seek to claim your heart, for they were born with none. Their dance is an intricate one, and those who know the steps are few. They say a demon can not love, but I say they love too fiercely. Should one sink its claws into you they will never let go._

 

_Beware of the Wrathful, for their anger burns like no other flame. It blinds them to compassion, patience and forgiveness but do not mistake them for misguided fools. Fight with them, but never submit, and you will find the peace that lives where Wrath can not go._

 

_Beware of the Gluttonous, for their hunger is eternal. They starve even as they gorge themselves, never knowing rest or peace. As their hands overflow with bounty, they spoil that which they can not have – for they are afraid that one day they will have nothing. Sit with them, but do not partake of their feast, and you will find the satisfaction that eludes the Glutton._

 

_Beware of the Greedy, who walks hand in hand with the Gluttonous. All that is will be theirs, should they have their way. They know nothing of rest nor comfort, for every second of every day must be theirs to own fully and wholly – never knowing that the only thing that grows larger the more you take from it is the void. Listen to them, but never let them take, and you will find the wisdom that Greed overlooked._

 

_Beware of the Envious, as they will seek to claim what is yours. To them, every meal might be sweeter and every smile might be brighter – a truth taken to terrible heights. Where one might find joy in another's happiness, they find only anger and sorrow that grows and festers until it suffocates all kindness. Heed their tales, but never forget what is yours and yours alone, and you will find the comfort that Envy will never bring._

 

_Beware of the Slothful, or be forever drowned in their sorrow. They seek neither joy nor purpose and waste away with all it drags down with it. Pity them, my child, as they might never know the happiness of life itself. Rest with them, but never sleep, and you will find the bliss the Sloth never cared to search for._

 

_Beware the Prideful, that you may never crumble under their weight. No creature nor man stands above them. Their love for themselves is twisted, corrupted into hate towards others. To reason with them is futile, for they can listen to no one but themselves. Resist them, but take no joy in their defeat, for Pride is a heavy crown easily won._

 

_Above all, my child, beware of the Lustful, for a raging wildfire starts with a simple spark. The heat that churns in you will drive you to great things, but even greater ruin awaits should you fail to temper it. Dance with them, but do not let them lead, and you will find the love that Lust forgot.'_

 

Thunder roared in the distance, heralding the storm's arrival. The figure sighed and lifted its finger from the page, the words fading at its departure. Heavy raindrops fell on the landscape, the susurrus of their thousands of thousands impacts filling the air as the mist from the mountains rolled in over the plains. The figure pulled at its robe again, curling in on itself for warmth, and fell asleep.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

Dark hooves came down on the muddy ground in a clattering symphony of squashes and splashes. The air was clear and crisp, cleansed after the storm had passed. Droplets of water glittered on every blade of grass, making the field the company rode across seem like a bed of stars. In the distance a family of deers scurried away, putting some distance between themselves and the riders. To an unburdened observer, the scenery was as pretty as a picture.

 

It all meant squat to Gabriel, who only wanted to get home.

 

"A hot bath," he grumbled, audible only to Ana who rode beside him. "A hot bath, a warm meal and a shave. That's all I want."

 

"So you've said, repeatedly, ever since we rode out," Ana deadpanned, though the lack of bite in her words indicated she felt much like him on the matter.

 

"I feel so dirty, I think my beard is growing a culture."

 

"You could stand to be more cultural."

 

He laughed, feeling lighter than he had for weeks. After three weeks of reconnaissance, recruiting on the move and suffering general uneasiness as it became apparent that the demons attacks were indeed becoming more frequent, the prospect of going back to see some friendly faces in a familiar setting was sweeter than nectar. Just a little longer now. The others would most likely have returned from their missions by now, making Gabriel and Ana the last of the senior members to return.

 

He looked over to his companion. She cut a striking figure, sitting astride her sleek gray steed, long hair flowing in the wind behind her. A gentle smile graced her lips, bringing a softness to her face he hadn't seen in quite a while.

 

"Look at you, all smiles," he said, grinning at her. "Who do you look forward to seeing most? Fareeha or Reinhardt?"

 

"Fareeha."

 

"I'm telling Rein you answered that immediately."

 

"He'll understand, that's part of what makes him such a great man."

 

He chuckled, knowing she was right.

 

"What about you? Excited to see Jack again?" she asked, eyes gleaming as she returned his grin.

"Always," he stated. Not a day went by that he didn't miss that man.

 

As they passed over a hill, the fortress they had claimed as their base became visible in the far distance. His faithful warhorse gave a pleased whinny at the familiar surroundings.

 

"What do you say, Amari? Race to the gates?" he teased, urging his horse to speed up. Ana's lilting laughter was carried over the fields by the wind.

 

"Oh, Gabe. You know Shrike and I will win!" she called out as she sped past him. He laughed, renewing his grip on the reins.

 

"Come on, Shiver!" he yelled, following after Ana with a light heart and even lighter mood.

 

In the light of the morning, the two steeds moved like smooth shadows across the ground. Their powerful limbs flexed, thick muscles coiling like snakes as they galloped, kicking up mud and dirt where their hooves flew off the ground. The large fortress loomed atop a hill, looking over the fields and the forest beyond. With Shiver's sturdy frame beneath him, Gabriel felt as if he was flying the rest of the way. His hair, too long for his comfort now, kept getting in his eyes as it was still too short to pull into a reliable ponytail. By the time he arrived at the gates Ana had not just arrived but dismounted to hug her daughter, who had been waiting at the entrance.

 

As much as he cared for the kid, she'd have to wait her turn. Besides, if he were to greet her now he'd have to wait until she and Ana had their fill of each other. He didn't feel he had the patience for that just yet.

 

He rode into the keep, making his way to the stable to leave Shiver in the capable care of the stablehands. As he passed by people waved at him, cheered at him and smiled at his mere presence.

 

"Our angel watches over us!" someone called, making a few people repeat the words like a chant. He did his best to keep himself from scowling at that. Like Jack had said; let them believe if it gives them hope.

 

Once Shiver was safely put in the stable, ready to be fed and watered and have a long rest, Gabriel made his way to the main tower, where his own quarters where located. He'd have to tell someone to hurry up and get some warm water for him, before he resorted to tearing his skin off in an attempt to feel cleaner.

 

The moment he stepped into his room he felt much more human. Stress flowed off him as he hung up his cloak, kicked off his boots and started to undo the straps of his armor. One by one, pieces of leather and metal fell to the floor.

 

"Y'know, I think the people would cheer less if you just showed them what a mess you are behind closed doors," a man said from behind him. After so many weeks the sound of Jack's gentle voice was like balm to his ears.

 

"Or," he said, turning to face the other man, "it will make them worse. Make me 'relatable' or some shit." He relaxed, taking in the sight of his friend and the comfort it gave him.

 

Jack chuckled, eyes crinkling at their corners as he shook his head. A gloved hand ran through his blond hair, golden strands ruffling underneath his fingers. His lithe yet muscular form was covered by a coat that reached down to his thighs in a way that left everything to Gabriel's imagination. And Gabriel had a _good_ imagination.

 

"I saw you approach. I took the liberty to draw you a bath, which I think you should thank me for since you clearly need it," Jack said, gesturing vaguely at Gabriel's dirt-covered clothes and stained skin. "Didn't bring enough warm water though, but I can fix that in a jiffy."

 

Gabriel nodded, smiling widely at the prospect of a hot bath. Jack walked over to the bathroom and stood by the filled tub, holding his hand just above the water. A brief incantation was spoken. A soft glow descended from the centre of Jack's palm, dipping into the water where it dissipated quickly. For a moment the water rippled. Seconds later, warm steam rose from the surface.

 

"You're a fucking godsend, Jack," Gabriel moaned as he tested the water's temperature with his hand. Without a second thought he pulled off his shirt and started to tug at his belt. In the corner of his eye he saw Jack blush and quickly step out of the bathroom.

 

Shame.

 

"Did you hear them chant out there? It's like they think I'm a gift from the Gods sometimes," he spoke as he stepped out of his pants and underwear. "It's getting ridiculous."

 

"Well, you came to them in a time of need, protected the weak, clothed the cold—"

 

" _Overwatch_ did that, I'm just the Commander!"

 

"—and there's the whole 'Gabriel Reyes is an angel' rumor. People get caught up in that."

 

Gabriel snorted and stepped into the tub. The heat was just right, warming him inch by inch as he slid down with a almost obcene moan.

 

"I swear, my mother might have been a wonderful woman but I wish she had just admitted I'm a bastard," he said, splashing water on his face.

 

"If it makes you feel any better; I think you're a bastard," Jack offered, voice muffled by the distance.

 

"That does make me feel better, thank you!"

 

Gabriel shifted in the tub, reaching a position where he could see into the other room. Jack stood by Gabriel's shaving station, already preparing the space for him. Jack's broad back was facing him, short coat-tails shifting a little bit as he moved. They had known each other for a few years now, traveling together in a mix between coincidence and desire before the word of demon attacks on the rise had reached them. Jack's skill in magic was impressive – especially for a hedge wizard – and Gabriel had made a name for himself as a ranger. Gabriel hoped that was why Overwatch had asked him to lead. The alternative was that they just really wanted "The Angel" and Gabriel had refused to join without Jack.

 

In all these years spent fighting, travelling and exploring; Gabriel had never made it a secret to Jack that he found the blond very attractive. Beautiful, even. He rested his cheek against the side of the tub, taking in the form he knew he had memorized a long time ago. The long coat, the gloves, the thick pants and knee-high boots evaporated under his imaginative gaze. He bit his lip, feeling himself twitch under the water.

 

"You always make me feel better, Jack," he admitted.

 

The other man didn't reply, or even pause in his preparations. Gabriel sighed. In all these years, Jack had never accepted his advances. What bothered Gabriel was that he didn't _deny_ them either, at times even encouraging them without taking it further. He shook his head, sliding to lean his back against the end of the tub again.

 

"So, did you find anything worth mentioning during reconnaissance?" Gabriel knew he'd find out later but right now he just really wanted to spend some time with Jack.

 

"Nothing I'm sure you didn't see for yourself, no. Same as has been reported these last months. Demon attacks becoming more common, greater demons appearing over time, it's... concerning," Jack replied, turning around and walking over to the doorway where he leaned on the frame. "When we got back I helped Torbjörn oversee the construction of the portals, which I still think we have time to reconsider—"

 

"Jack, we've been over this. The risks are worth the gains," Gabriel interrupted when Jack started to raise his voice.

 

"I'm not saying we shouldn't use them, I just think we shouldn't have so many!"

 

"With them we can get all over the world in the blink of an eye, it's worth it."

 

"They take a lot of resources and effort to maintain _and_ demons can use them too!" Jack wailed, waving his hand in the air in frustration. Gabriel nodded with another sigh before moving to grab the soap. Again, Jack blushed and turned away. Ever so proper.

 

"And you think we could do with fewer?" the Commander asked as he slid the soap over his skin, feeling dirt and grime disappear with every stroke.

 

"Just... maybe just key locations. The world is _big_ , there's always going to be... casualties." There was no need to see Jack's face to know he was frowning at his own words.

 

"Sure," Gabriel agreed solemnly as he stood up to clean his body properly, "but our job is to minimize those casualties, isn't it? With enough manpower we can cover vast areas thanks to the portals, share resources over great distances, recruit people from literally all over the world."

 

Jack turned. "Yes, but we don't _have_ enough manpo—"

 

Gabriel stopped lathering his crotch and looked up with one eyebrow raised. "'We don't have enough'..?" he offered, smirking slightly at the stunned and blushing wizard whose eyes didn't seem to be able to travel further upward at the moment.

 

"Manhoo— _manpower_ ! T-there's not enough manpower!" Jack sputtered, finally tearing his gaze away and turning to look _anywhere_ else but at Gabriel.

 

"Not yet, no." Gabriel sat back down, splashing water over himself to wash the suds away. "But I think the portals will help with that." He took a deep breath and dunked his head under the water. Sweat, blood and grime came off him as he ran his fingers through his hair underneath the surface, darkening the water. When he came back up and wiped the water off his face he felt much more human. "This could be big, if we make our efforts half-assed now it _will_ come back to bite us," he said as he stepped out of the tub. He wiped himself off with a towel, then he put on a robe and went back out to Jack who could now look at him without overheating.

 

"I suppose..." Jack sighed, giving in for now.

 

"For now though," Gabriel said, coming up behind the other man and giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder, "Let's just focus on getting a good foundation for Overwatch. We already got a good start." He stepped past Jack and went over to his vanity. "Help me with this?" he asked, not-so-innocently. Jack rolled his eyes, but came over to stand behind the chair Gabriel sat himself down on.

 

"One of these days I'm not going to be around to shave you, then where would you be?" Jack teased, gathering the tools he needed.

 

"Wherever I'll be, I'll be very hairy," Gabriel chuckled. "Unkempt beard and hair down to my ass." He watched in the mirror by the station as Jack tugged his gloves off, failing to contain a small moan as those long fingers came down to card through his locks.

 

"You'd look good in long hair," Jack murmured.

 

"Yeah, well. I'll look good in anything but it's getting in the way right now," Gabriel muttered, half-hoping, half-fearing that Jack would notice his blush.

 

They fell into silence as Jack started to shave off the thick curls from Gabriel's head. His deft hands slid over Gabriel's scalp almost tenderly as it became uncovered. Gabriel allowed himself to close his eyes and just bask in the sensation, becoming pliant in Jack's care as he was nudged gently to tilt his head to make access easier. Occasionally, Jack's knuckles would drift across his skin in a way that felt almost affectionate.

 

This was the only time when Jack would touch him. The only time he'd uncover his hands, allowing skin-on-skin contact. Any other time; Jack was covered, guarded.

 

Gabriel treasured these moments.

 

 

"You know, despite everything you don't look as tired as you usually do," Jack said after a while. A smile tugged at Gabriel's lips.

 

"I've been sleeping well, despite everything," he echoed. "Been having good dreams."

 

"No nightmares?"

 

"Not lately, no."

 

Jack gave a pleased hum. Jack was the confidant Gabriel told everything to, the only one he would share his nightmares with. The nightly terrors had been haunting him most of his life, leaving him restless and anxious during his waking hours. Shady images of battlefields, torn bodies and horrors he couldn't describe once he woke up had become such a common thing, he barely remembered what a peaceful night felt like.

 

Until recently. The last few weeks his dreams had been calm. Pleasant even. And very, very vivid.

 

The last lock of hair fell to the floor. Jack circled around him for a few moments, looking over the scalp to see if he'd missed any spots. When he came to a stop they were face-to-face. Gabriel felt a finger trace its way down the shell of his ear to the beginning of his jawline. He shivered, making no efforts to hide it as he let out a soft breath. When he opened his eyes he was met with Jack's deep blue gaze. For a moment, he could have sworn the iris of his eyes was just a thin ring around the pitch-black pupils.

 

"There, done," Jack said, pulling back as if he hadn't just been caressing Gabriel with a lover-like touch. "Will you at least do your beard yourself? You always complain that I'm styling it wrong."

 

"You just need to practice."

 

"And are you willing to be my training dummy?" Jack grinned.

 

"Always," Gabriel replied without hesitation. Jack chuckled, eyes gleaming as he prepared everything. Gabriel closed his eyes again, reveling in the sensation of Jack's hands against his face as he worked. Over the sound of his own heartbeat he could hear, and feel, Jack's breath as the other man leaned forward. Again, close to affectionate touches drifted across his skin.

 

"Almost done," Jack murmured, very close to Gabriel's ear. He hated those two words right at that moment. Cracking one eye open, Gabriel tried to commit the moment to memory. He took in the shape of Jack's jaw, his nose, his brow. He breathed in the man's scent  – the smell of ash and fire from his arcane spells always lingered – and listened to the steady breaths he made.

 

He reached up, past the high collar of the robe to graze his fingertips against Jack's cheek.

 

"Ow!"

 

"Sorry!" Jack sputtered, red-faced and already a few feet away. Gabriel touched his jaw gingerly, fingers coming away red. "I-it's just a small nick, I—"

 

"It's okay, I... I went too far," Gabriel admitted. Jack stared at him, one hand held to his cheek where Gabriel's fingers had just barely touched him.

 

"You _know_ I don't like to be touched," Jack whispered, looking away as if in shame.

 

"I know, I'm sorry."

 

"...I'm sorry too." Jack walked over to the station and put the razor down, his hand still rubbing against his cheek like he was trying to override the touch. "I... I think you should finish on your own." Without another word, the wizard left the room. With a heavy sigh, Gabriel picked up the razor and continued, as Jack had suggested, on his own.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

"... but what was most concerning about our finds was not the amount of demons we found, but the fact that among them were demons of extraordinary caliber," Torbjörn spoke, turning to make eye contact with the majority of the room. "We found lesser demons harassing farmers and killing livestock, as they are wont to do, but we also found signs of demonic infestation in villages and town, places where lesser demons usually do not venture alone."

 

Solemn faces nodded as the dwarf went on, the senior ranking officers of Overwatch all had similar encounter during these last few weeks.

 

"Now, with the construction of the portals we should be able to reach many places at short notice, which will be vital to our efforts since a single great demon can cause havoc the likes of which we have only read about in legends. We will need to be vigilant."

 

"Agreed, my friend!" Reinhardt boomed when Torbjörn finished. The crusader towered over the other members, but somehow always found a way to present himself humbly despite his size. "During my travels with our wizard here," a huge hand came down on Jack's shoulder, "we found that plenty of people experienced the horrific siren song of demonic powers. People found themselves swayed and lulled by the foul fiends empty promises, left and right!"

 

"Though there was no sign of demonic possession in any of them," Jack added, rubbing his shoulder idly as he spoke. "While our greatest concern is the approaching invasion, we should put efforts into educating the public about how to recognise and protect themselves from demons..." Jack was interrupted as Ana made a displeased noise and frowned.

 

"We will need to be careful with that, the last thing we need is people fighting among themselves from paranoia," she said, eyes downcast and serious.

 

Gabriel nodded, stroking his newly styled beard as he paced by the large table at the centre of the room. "There is a lot to take into account," he mumbled. "Liao, you will be in charge of handling the people, find out what's happening, what they need, what they know, that sort of affairs." Liao nodded, no doubt already planning ahead for her tasks. "Gérard, you will keep an eye on our enemies and their progress, I want to know patterns, movements and numbers." Another silent nod as Gabriel addressed the Frenchman. "I will expect both of you to work closely with Torbjörn, take advantage of his knowledge concerning demons," Gabriel added.

 

The dwarf in question gave a short laugh and snapped his claw-shaped arm in a mock salute. The arm twisted and shifted, arcane magic flowing through the cracks of it, keeping it together.

 

"And they said demonology wouldn't get me any friends!" Torbjörn sniggered.

 

"You'll be a popular guy after this, I'm sure. Your job will be to keep us updated on what classes of demons we might expect, their weaknesses and how to counter their strengths," the Commander continued. He turned to the table and leaned over the map to point out an area way south of their location.

 

"Tomorrow morning I will bring Reinhardt, Ana and Jack with me and test out the portals. We will begin here, then make our way to these locations." His finger trailed across the map. For a moment he glanced up, catching Jack's frown. "This will help establish our presence and hopefully get the word out that Overwatch is there for them, that in turn will help us recruit more people." He stood up straight, giving everyone in the room a once-over. "This will be the start of something our people will remember for a long time. I suggest you all get a good night's rest before tomorrow. Dismissed."

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

Gabriel opened his eyes to face a brilliant night sky. The stars scattered across the heavens lit up the landscape, as brightly as if it was illuminated by the sun itself. He sat up, finding himself naked in a grove filled with beautiful trees. Long, slender branches reminiscent of weeping willows hung from the crowns of the trees, their leaves seemingly glowing in the almost ethereal starlight. They shifted in shades of blue, green and purple while small shadows danced between them, slithering like snakes in the air. From a few of the branches hung small, orb-shaped fruit that seemed to glow faintly from within.

 

When Gabriel looked up again, even bigger shadows blocked out the starlight. Great serpentine creatures slowly made their way across the sky, as if patrolling the colourful forest.

 

"Huh," he muttered to himself. One of the shadows shifted, allowing the moonlight to bounce off its long body just at the right angle for Gabriel to see scales much like the leaves from the trees. "Never seen a dragon before," he whispered.

 

"Few have," a voice said from behind him.

 

Gabriel turned, a smile finding its way to his lips when his gaze fell on Jack. The other man stood underneath the drooping branches of one of the trees, fingers grazing one of the orbs that hung heavy from the tree. A small serpent hovered curiously by his shoulder, watching as he lifted the fruit slightly before letting it drop again. The little creature's head bounced in time with the branch.

 

"They call them 'Hearts of the Dragons', I hear," Jack said, gesturing to the fruit. "They take decades to mature, and the dragons guard them carefully. Supposedly, eating one gives you the power of a dragon." Jack gave the little dragon beside him a one-finger stroke under its chin before he approached Gabriel.

 

Jack was equally naked. Under the light from the stars, his skin seemed to glow. His hair seemed brighter, pale gold rather than sunshine yellow. His eyes gleamed once he came up to Gabriel's side.

 

"It's beautiful here, wild and untamed yet peaceful," Jack murmured.

 

"I told you I've been having good dreams," Gabriel said with a soft smile.

 

That's all this was, he knew. The trees, the dragons, Jack, all a dream. But what a dream it was, so vivid and real he could feel the soft breeze on his skin, the grass under his feet. He had no idea what had caused him to have these dreams, these moments of peace, but he hoped it would continue for quite some time.

 

Dream Jack chuckled and lay down next to Gabriel. He stretched out, putting his whole body on display. Those long limbs, taut muscles and – Gabriel had to admit it felt weird to think of it as such – cute genitalia all exposed for Gabriel's eyes only.

 

Silently, Gabriel thanked his excellent imagination and sat down next to the literal man of his dreams.

 

"Did I tell you I missed you? Because I missed you," Jack whispered, one hand coming up to run his fingers down Gabriel's arm. The soft touch was calming and encouraging at the same time. Idly, Gabriel reached over with one of his hands and gently laced their fingers together.

 

Real Jack would never hold his hand like this. Real Jack wouldn't touch him without gloves unless he was helping him shave or bandage a wound. Dream Jack _did_ let him touch. Dream Jack was everything he wanted him to be.

 

"I missed you too," Gabriel breathed as he turned and leaned down, capturing Jack's lips in a gentle kiss. "I thought about you every day," he continued,his mouth hovering right above Jack's skin as he made his way down to his neck where he left a few brief open-mouthed kisses. "Did you think about me? Tell me you did."

 

"Of course I thought about you," Jack moaned, tilting his head back. Gabriel moved to straddle him, scooting down so he could continue to kiss down Jack's neck to his chest. "And I thought about everything I want you to do to me."

 

Another moan spilled from Jack's lips as Gabriel started to lick and knead at his pecs, exploring the firm muscle eagerly with his tongue.

 

"You never cease to amaze me Gabriel, you're so fantastic and sexy and— ah!"

 

Gabriel smiled, apologising for his actions by kissing and licking at the nipple he had bitten. Moments later, he bit it again and tugged gently at it with his teeth to get Jack to yelp again.

 

"Tell me what you want me to do to you," Gabriel growled as he shifted to bring attention to the other side of Jack's chest. Strong hands splayed their fingers across Gabriel's upper back, pushing him against Jack's skin.

 

"Ah— I want you to... To make me yours. To take me, make me feel like I'm the only one for you," Jack moaned deeply, arching his back for more contact, more attention, just _more._ Gabriel gave a muffled laugh, his mouth occupied with biting into the flesh of Jack's chest.

 

"We'll get to that," he promised, kissing the mark his teeth had left before his hands moved to grip Jack's pecs and firmly push them together. Nosing at the shallow cleavage, his tongue darted out to slide between the plush muscles. "But surely you want more than that? I know I do."

 

Jack squirmed under his hands, pleasured sighs spilling from parted lips when Gabriel allowed his hands to wander. Jack's hands kept pushing him down, silently urging him to get closer to his erect cock. Gabriel, ever the tease, ducked down past it completely and instead continued his worship at Jack's thighs.

 

"Use your words, darling," Gabriel laughed when a disappointed groan merged with a hitched breath at the sensation of Gabriel's coarse beard against the sensitive skin.

 

"Bastard." Jack lifted his leg up in the air, causing Gabriel to follow it to keep up with his teasing nips and kisses. Once Gabriel's head was close enough, Jack's hand came to rest at his jaw. A gentle but firm pull coaxed him higher up, back towards Jack's face. "Kiss me," the blond requested.

 

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The light from the stars seemed to be reflected in Jack's eyes, which looked at Gabriel with all the love and adoration he could hope for. A soft, warm breeze drifted across their skin, a gentle caress that seemed to urge them closer to one another. The slow, slithering giants above them rumbled, a deep and soothing sound not loud enough to drown out the hammering heartbeat in Gabriel's chest. This moment, this brief and fleeting moment, was something Gabriel hoped to keep in his memory forever.

 

He closed the distance between them, a tender kiss much more loving than passionate.

 

They made love under the stars, their world seemingly timeless and eternal. Every breath Jack made was all Gabriel wanted to hear, every touch all he wanted to feel. Words that stroked his ego as well as the hands that stroked his skin spilled from Jack like pearls, praise and admiration overflowing as Gabriel finally took him.

 

Everything was perfect. A perfect dream.

 

"I love you, I've always loved you, Gabriel," Dream Jack whispered against his skin as he came, his hold on the other man firm and almost desperate. Words Gabriel wished he'd hear while awake someday.

 

Drained and with a warm feeling spreading within him, Gabriel rolled off his perfect imagination and spread himself out on the grass. He closed his eyes, listening to his own heartbeat and the soft susurrus of the glade as he felt Jack's warm body curling up next to him. Pulling his lover closer, he turned his head to bury his nose in those soft locks he so badly wanted to run his fingers through every day.

 

They lay there for a while, doing nothing but enjoying the moment. Eventually Gabriel opened his eyes again and looked down at his beloved. Jack looked pensive, almost bothered at he traces tiny circles against Gabriel's chest with his fingers. Confusion washed over Gabriel. Throughout his dreams everything had been exactly as he wanted it to be. Every place he had found himself in was peaceful, Jack was always smiling at him or loving him or enjoying him. This small sign of distress or discomfort was new.

 

"What's wrong?" he rumbled, moving his hand to rub at Jack's shoulder. Blue eyes looked up at him, taking him in until he felt like he was drowning without regrets before they blinked and looked away. Jack sat up, throwing his leg over Gabriel's hips so he was straddling him. He held out his hand, pointer finger and pinky finger outstretched and ran them down Gabriel's chest.

 

"They're coming," Jack whispered, and the glade was suddenly very silent. "I know it will be difficult, but stay calm. They will have it easier if you're not calm." Unease filled the Commander. Jack looked almost despondent, a look that had no place in his dreams.

 

"You'll come back to me, won't you?" Jack asked. Before Gabriel could answer, the world around them fell apart and everything went dark.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

"You look like shit," Jack observed as Gabriel sat up on Shiver. "What happened to good dreams?" Gabriel was about to answer, but only a yawn made it out. Jack looked at him, brows furrowed in concern before he urged his mare, Immortal, into a trot. Shaking his head, Gabriel followed.

 

He wasn't going to lie to himself, he felt shaken after his dream's abrupt ending. It had felt so... wrong. His nightmares often left him anxious and jittery when he woke up but _this_ had been something else. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was no ordinary dream.

 

Shiver quickly caught up to Immortal, the red mare and her master had kept their pace slow. They kicked off, riding to the outskirts of the fortress where the first of the portals had been placed. Ana and Reinhardt were already waiting there, atop their own mounts.

 

"There you are! Good thing you showed up at last, Paragon is getting antsy!" the Crusader laughed. As if on cue, the huge mare whinnied and kicked at the ground impatiently.

 

"As much as I believe your stubborn horse hates to wait around," Ana began, casting a critical eye towards the nearest portal, "I don't think our horses like this idea of going through these things."

 

"Can you blame them? Portals are weird," Jack moaned.

 

"Oh grow up, it's just an extra-dimensional hole in reality," Gabriel laughed and urged Shiver towards the portal. "Come on, it's just like diving into cold water. Just do it and damn the risks!"

 

"Oh yes, damn pneumonia, diver's ear and shallow water"

 

"Where's your usual gusto?"

 

"Taking the scenic route, not the portal."

 

"Boys!" Ana yelled, making them both snap into professionality as if she had cracked a whip.

 

"Right, here we go!" Gabriel yelled. Shiver resisted for a moment before going through the portal.

 

Jack was correct, portals are weird. Outside all Gabriel had been able to see was a vague image of their destination, but on the inside everything he saw seemed to stretch and twist. Blue light gleamed like light through cracks in reality and the distance to the portal's end seemed just a few steps away only to snap and move yards, even miles into the distance. Just as everything around him seemed to shift, so did everything inside. For a moment, his spleen might have been in his head and his brain at the heel of his left foot. Turning in his saddle, he tried to get a look at his friends, if he could even see them. In a way he did. He recognized the colors.

 

Then, suddenly, he was back in the real world. Real grass stretched out before him, the hills in the distance stayed still as they ought to. His stomach seemed to drop in from nowhere.

 

"See? That wasn't too bad, was it?" he tried to laugh when the others came out of the portal.

 

"I'm sorry, have you seen my friend Gabriel? Good looking, dark skin. Not pale and clammy, like yours," Jack quipped as he rode past him, looking a little worn himself. Paragon whinnied as Reinhardt rode by as well, clearly happy to have actual ground at her hooves again.

 

 _Alright_ , Gabriel thought, _so maybe we_ should _consider fewer portals..._

 

The four riders made their way to the town near the portal. Their mission today was simple; show up, announce that the portals are working, spread the word that Overwatch is watching over them, and so on.

 

So of course it had to go wrong somewhere.

 

At first it was fine, the first and second destination were business as usual – or as usual as things were under the threat of demons. The third, however...

 

The first warning sign was the smell that was carried by the air, like fire and brimstone. The second was the lack of sound. No screams, no rushing people.

 

"This is not good," Ana mumbled as they came out from the portal. Before anyone could say anything else, Jack urged Immortal into a gallop and sped off towards the town.

 

"For the love of God, Jack!" Gabriel cursed as he took off after the wizard.

 

The moment the first demon came into view, Jack hefted his Helix Staff off his back. Blue, shimmering light slithered around the metal, coming to rest at the three twisted prongs at the top. With a cry of "Enemy sighted, engaging!" – a warcry that frightened a surprisingly large amount of people – he let loose three bolts of arcane energy that twisted around each other before blasting a hole through the damned creature.

 

"Imps!" Jack called as more demons came into view. From the corner of his eye, Gabriel saw Reinhardt charge forward, hammer held high and ready. Behind him, he knew Ana was readying her crossbow.

 

There was no time to think. Gabriel charged into the eerily silent town. Lesser demons crawled out of houses, shadows and corners as he approached. The stench of death was heavy in the air, blood and gore covered the ground. With a almost feral cry, Gabriel lept off Shiver and unsheathed his twin daggers – Redemption and Retribution, names Jack rolled his eyes at – and took out an imp that leapt at him before he even hit the ground.

 

 _The worst part about fighting imps,_ he thought as more of the bastards swarmed him before being cut down by his dancing blades, _is that they are nothing. They_ know _they are nothing. They are wild animals, slaves, canon-fodder. They throw themselves at you, tear at your flesh even as their own falls apart because they have_ no reason not to _. All they need are numbers and a bit of luck, and they'll win. They serve their betters._

 

The lesser demons fell to the ground, one after one. Gabriel grunted in frustration as more of them approached, before they promptly got crushed by Reinhardt who charged through them with ease.

 

"Handle this!" Gabriel shouted at him, "Ana! You and I will look for survivors!"

 

He dashed through the streets, taking out the chattering little devils as he went. While there was no shortage of corpses, he couldn't shake the feeling that there were _too few of them_. The bodies he passed by were littered with deep gashes, their insides on the wrong side of their skin or missing altogether. Rounding a corner, he spotted an imp chewing on some poor soul's remains. He quickly dispatched it, wishing he'd gotten there sooner.

 

Eventually he came to the town's square. Red streaks lined the ground, morbid roads that all converged at the entrance of the town hall. Still no survivors. In the distance, all he heard was the sizzle of Jack's magic and Reinhardt's shouts. Gabriel stared at the building.

 

Part of him knew he should stay calm. Part of him knew he should join up with the others before going in.

 

The rest of him knew something that needed to die was in there.

 

Cloak swirling behind him, he stalked into the building. The moment he came in, the smell of sulfur and blood hit him like the kick of a mule. His grip around his daggers tightened and he stepped silently into the main room. In all his years as a ranger, and several encounters with demons, he had never seen anything like the sight that greeted him.

 

A pile of bodies lay at the centre of the room. The townsfolk had been gutted open, their hearts removed. A pile of rags lay to the side, like twisted candy wrappers discarded without a care. On top of the pile sat a demon, snacking on a heart as if it was an apple.

 

It wasn't an imp, it was something greater. Almost human sized, the creature's thin limbs gave it the appearance of a skeleton. Despite that, muscles like pearls on string coiled around its arms and legs. Its eyes, yellow and mad, slowly looked up from its meal over at Gabriel. A three fingered hand came up to wipe at its mouth, talons gleaming red.

 

Idly, and with a heavy lump in his stomach, Gabriel noted that the distance between the two longest fingers was about the same distance between a grown man's pointer and pinky.

 

The demon grinned at him, three rows of teeth stained with blood revealing themselves.

 

"Fffffeassssst," it hissed before it lunged.

 

The thing was fast, quickly closing the distance between them. It raised its arm, giving Gabriel just a fraction of a second before he sidestepped the downward slash. He brought one of his daggers to his side, parrying the swipe it made with its other arm. A deep gash was left where cold steel had met flesh, yet the thing didn't even flinch. Before Gabriel got a chance to follow up with an attack, something struck his side. Sharp, cold pain radiated from his left side.

 

"Hhhhalfliiing!" the second demon wheezed behind him. He spun, bringing one of his daggers into the demon's neck. "Haaaalffff..." it groaned before he twisted the blade and tore out its throat with one quick movement.

 

"Fuck you!" Gabriel cursed, swinging both his daggers overhead as he turned back. They caught the first demon in the air as it was leaping towards him.

 

A quick look around confirmed that those were the only two of the bastards, and a quick stab confirmed that they were dead. Once the adrenaline wore off, the reality of it all became more real. The bodies smelled more of blood, the massacre became a _Thing that Had Happened_ and would never _not_ be A Thing again and the pain that flared from his new wound stung in an alarming way. Fatigue covered him like a thick blanket as he breathed heavily.

 

Gabriel clutched his side, a wound like this would need attention, quickly. The pain spread through his side, blood flowing freely between his gloved fingers. He grunted, it would be difficult to focus like this and he didn't know if the worst was over yet.

 

Sighing, he concentrated on the wound. Coils of his conscious twisted deep into a pool within him he normally left undisturbed, dipping into its pristine water creating a single, slow ripple. He focused everything on that, pulling the dormant power from the depths of his being, allowing it to manifest into a glowing light in his palm.

 

He pressed the light to the wound, and the pain dissipated immediately. It wasn't a good idea to rely too heavily on his gift, he knew that. But it had its uses.

 

"Gabriel?!" Jack shouted from outside. Gabriel stood up – feeling not the slightest twinge of discomfort – as the sound of footsteps came closer. Jack, disheveled and pale, appeared in the doorway a moment later.

 

"Gabriel, _you_ don't get to yell at _me_ when you go off—" he started before he seemed to realize what was before him. "Mother of..." he whispered as he took in the scene.

 

"Did you find any survivors?" Gabriel asked, fearing he knew the answer already. Jack just shook his head, eyes focusing on the wound Gabriel was still clutching.

 

"Come on, Ana needs to take a look at that," the wizard mumbled, stepping up to Gabriel's side and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That looks painful..."

 

Gabriel resisted the urge to snort at that, allowing Jack to lead him out of the building. Ana and Reinhardt were already waiting by the entrance.

 

"Yeah, stings like a bitch," Gabriel lied.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

"You look like shit," Jack observed. Gabriel opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He was standing in a field, clothed in a simple cotton tunic and pants. The entire area was void of any landmarks, or even trees and rocks. Endless, green grass stretched around him. Above him was nothing but a spotless blue sky.

 

Jack, dressed in a similar attire, stood before him.

 

"So you said," Gabriel mumbled, briefly touching his side to check if he was still wounded. There was no pain. When he lifted up his tunic there wasn't even a wound. Jack just looked at him, a slight smile on his lips. He was beautiful, all rosy cheeks and bright eyes. Everything was perfect.

 

Something awful twisted in Gabriel's stomach. He _did_ have a good imagination, but at this point... even dreams have their limits.

 

"When we came back..." Gabriel started, hesitantly, "you looked like shit too. Pale and gray. You sat next to me when I got patched up, looking like you were about to throw up at any second."

 

Jack's eyes grew harder as he spoke, his smile faltering slightly.

 

"You reached out and held my hand. Even with the glove on I could feel your warmth," he continued. "I thought 'that's not a good look on you, Jackie. You're supposed to be vibrant and wonderful, like usual'. And here you are, just how I wished you'd be." Gabriel licked his lips, trying to find the words that stuck in his throat. "I can pass all that off as my mind making stuff up, even if it is too good to be true. But I'm not that kind to myself. And... you _knew._ "

 

Gabriel held his hand to his chest, pointer and pinky extended, dragging his fingers down in a mimicry of the lines he'd seen on the corpses at the Town Hall. Jack's face was expressionless now.

 

"Either this isn't real, or it is _too_ real," Gabriel whispered, more to himself than to Jack.

 

Jack took a deep breath, bringing his hands up to the back of his head. On the exhale, slow and light like a feather, his hands moved to cover his face instead. For a while he just stood there. The he parted his fingers, allowing him to peek out with one eye.

 

Jack's blue eyes had always been vibrant to Gabriel. Now they gleamed. A pulsating glow, rhythmic like a heartbeat seemed to come from within. The sky darkened. The wind picked up. When Jack's hands fell to his side, a pleased grin graced his lips.

 

"I was wondering when you'd get it, it's not like I did much to hide it," Jack said as the world around them became void. Gabriel stared. What was there to do? He was _probably_ asleep, maybe. So he couldn't run. Fighting was likely out of the question as well.

 

Didn't mean he couldn't try.

 

Even as their surroundings became nothing, there still seemed to be some sense of space there. Gabriel's movements as he closed the distance were unhindered, his body light as he pulled his fist back. However, before he could launch his punch everything slowed. Whatever counted as ground wasn't there anymore. The space around him seemed thicker, hindering him as if he was swimming through tar. Jack – or whatever was wearing his face – simply moved to the side with a swift grace that was far beyond Gabriel's abilities at the moment.

 

"Now now, is that any way to treat someone who's been helping you?" Jack, _it_ , asked as Gabriel flailed, slowly, in the middle of nothing.

 

"Get thee behind me demon!" Gabriel snarled, earning only a chuckle from the thing.

 

"Okay," it said cheerfully and stepped – _floated,_ more like – until it was behind the man. "Now what?" it asked, clearly amused.

 

"I _mean_ ; fuck off!" Gabriel growled, still struggling in slow motion.

 

"No can do, not until I've talked with you."

 

"I've got nothing to say to the likes of you!"

 

"Alright, not until I talked _at_ you, then," the thing said, moving to Gabriel's side and grabbing hold of his hand. For a moment, Gabriel was stabilized. He used that to try to throw another punch. "Urgh," the thing groaned as it sidestepped and let go, causing Gabriel to spin in place.

 

"Here's the deal," the demon began as up, down left and right began to lose all meaning. "There's a war coming. Demons all over Inferna are gearing up for it. Some will come to fight their holy war, some will come to feast on human flesh and souls and some will just be violent because they substitute their brains with brawn and stupid decisions. It will be bloody and horrifying to you mortals. You do not want that." It said the last thing as if it was talking to a child who was just learning that boiling water is hot and will burn their skin if they keep insisting on pulling at the kettle.

 

"Once the demons come along, angels will come soon after," it continued, nudging Gabriel – who at this point had turned up-side-down – a little to keep him spinning. "Angels, despite what you might have heard, are selfish bastards. They will fight the demons, and probably drive them back, but they will not care who gets hurt in the process. More people will die. You do not want that either." It crouched down – or up, at this point everything was unclear – until its face was level with Gabriel's. "Now, what if I said I had a plan to stop all that?"

 

"Not interested, let me go!" Gabriel snapped without hesitation. The thing looked at him, seemingly disappointed but not surprised.

 

"Thousands of lives. Think about it, Gabriel," is said, voice low and sympathetic.

 

"Fuck off! I'll never make a deal with the likes of you!"

 

"Not even after everything I've given you, all as a gesture of goodwill?"

 

"You haven't given me shit!"

 

The demon sighed, marring Jack's pretty features with a frown. It stood, rolling its neck and shoulders before cracking its knuckles. In an instant, the world came back. Gabriel promptly fell onto solid ground.

 

They were back in the glade. Thick shadows were drifting in the sky above them. The gentle, deep rumble of the dragons filled the air.

 

"For weeks now, I've given you everything I could," the demon said as Gabriel got up. "I've taken your nightmares away, I've given you peace in your dreams. Your nights have been uninterrupted and calm, that was _my_ doing." It smirked at him. "And while I didn't give you the real deal, I _did_ give you what you wished the real one would," it chuckled as it gestured to itself. Again, Gabriel stared. Then he groaned.

 

"I fucked a demon!" he lamented.

 

"Very well, too," the thing laughed. It still had Jack's beautiful laugh.

 

Gabriel growled, cradling his head in his hands. He hadn't just _fucked_ a demon, he'd _made love_ to one. He'd said and done things he only ever wanted to say and do to Jack and while he knew it was only in his dreams it still hurt that it was in a _lie_.

 

"Will you listen to what I have to say?" the demon asked. If Gabriel had been in a better state, he might have noticed the slight worry in its voice.

 

"No! I will not make a deal with you or any of your kind," Gabriel hissed.

 

"Not a deal, I'm just looking to share information! Information that could _save your world_!"

 

"I don't trust you! And I never asked for your help, stay out of my head!"

 

For a moment, the demon was unreadable. It just stood there, silently and still. Then it nodded, and took a step back.

 

"Fine, then here's what's going to happen; I will leave you alone, I will not touch your dreams and I will not share my information—"

 

"Good!"

 

"— The attacks will begin in earnest soon. Overwatch will not be able to handle them all. You will struggle and people will die." Its gaze hardened. "Your nightmares will return, and with them; your restless nights. A Commander's mind is his greatest weapon, and yours will become dull and slow as the nights stack upon each other." It took a few more steps back. "I will keep an eye on you, however. Should you change your mind and decide to hear me out, I will know." As it spoke, the world around them became fuzzy. The gentle sounds of the glade drifted into each other to create a white noise, one that was only barely audible over the demon's voice. "Think carefully, Commander Reyes. I hope you will be willing to listen next time I see you."

 

With a start, Gabriel woke up.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

The next week was Hell on Earth. Reports of demon activity cropped up everywhere. As much as Overwatch tried, there seemed to be no pattern behind the attacks. Even with the portals, their efforts seemed to come too late in every regard. As the demon promised, Gabriel's nightmares returned as well. Horrible visions of battlefield he'd never been to haunted his dreams. Soldiers he had never met died in his arms.

 

Just like his dreams used to be. For the first time in a long while, he dreaded sleeping.

 

"This is horrific," Jack breathed beside him. Gabriel looked over the carnage before them. Once again, they had come too late to be of any aid.

 

 _Thousands of people, Gabriel,_ the demon's words echoed in his mind.

 

The commander and the wizard rode past the corpses that littered the road. Some of them seemed to have been toyed with before their deaths. The waking world was starting to resemble his nightmares.

 

There was no sign of the demons that had caused this. All they had left behind was the bodies of their victims and the stench of fire and sulfur.

 

"There's no method to this madness," Jack growled as they searched for anything – survivors, clues, _anything_ – that might help them understand how the demons were thinking. "No matter how hard we look we're not finding any patterns to this behaviour."

 

"Maybe there isn't one," Gabriel muttered. If the demon was telling the truth, then this was all the work of directionless brutes. Demonic bandits and hooligans acting on their own.

 

_The attacks will begin in earnest soon._

 

"This is only going to get worse," Ana said as she came up behind them. "I fear for the world at this rate..."

 

The three dismounted as they came to a stop by some particularly gruesome remains. A woman with her back torn open lay face down on the ground, her face distorted in fear in her final moments. Gently, Ana turned her over.

 

Underneath her, shielded had it not been for the fact that the demons claws had passed through the woman, was a child. Unseeing eyes stared up at them. With a barely heard broken sob, Ana reached over and closed the child's eyes.

 

The didn't speak on the way back. The silence did that for them.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

The first sign the demon was back was the gentle sound of waves lapping at the shore. There was no sound of combat, no screams or cries of terror. No death hanging in the air, scythe raised and ready.

 

Gabriel slowly opened his eyes.

 

He was sitting on a rock by a beach, clothed in silky soft, pure white clothing. Like the endless fields of grass, there was nothing at the horizon. No clouds in the sky. The sense of relief hit him like a sledgehammer's kiss.

 

"Welcome back," a voice said from behind him.

 

He took a deep breath before he turned around on his spot. The demon was still wearing Jack's visage, but this time the disguise was incomplete. Two curved horns extended from its forehead. Its eyes glowed like stars in their sockets. A thin tail, as long as the demon was tall, poked out from under the hem of its tunic, the only article of clothing it wore.

 

It raised a hand and wriggled its claw-tipped fingers at him.

 

"Hi there," it greeted him with a smile. "Good to see you back here." Gabriel said nothing. He had a feeling the demon didn't need him to say anything. The thing sauntered past him, towards the water. "Ugly stuff, yeah? The things my kin are up to?" it said, as if talking about the weather and not mass-murder. "It's just going to get worse from here. Unless something's done."

 

"And what would that something be?" Gabriel growled. The demon crouched down and picked up a small stone from the sand.

 

"Well. I'll say it right now, humans don't stand a chance against the armies of Inferna. Right now you're facing nothing but scouting parties and over-eager opportunists. And they are _still_ kicking your ass." It tossed the stone into the water. "So the best thing you can do is to prevent them from coming to your world altogether." It turned back to Gabriel and waved its hand over the sand. As Gabriel watched, lines began to form in the sand. Three rectangles were drawn before the demon spoke again.

 

"Are you familiar with the three planes? Humans call them Heaven, Hell and Earth these days. We tend to call them Superi, Inferna and Mundus respectively."

 

"What about them?" Gabriel asked as he stood and walked over to the drawings.

 

"They are connected. Different planes of existence in the same world, one might say. It's not an accurate way of putting it, but the truth is much more complicated." The demon grew quiet for a few seconds. "Think of the world as a coin. Heaven is one side, Hell is the other."

 

"And Earth?"

 

"The middle. The coin itself, kinda. Wait, no the coin is the whole world and Heaven and Hell..." The demon drifted off. "I haven't thought this metaphor through," it admitted. It shook its head. "Doesn't matter, what matters is that you understand that Earth is in the middle between Heaven and Hell. In a way."

 

"That's not too difficult to understand," Gabriel muttered. "Demons always seem to come from the ground and angels seem to descend from the heavens the few times they show their faces around here."

 

"Good, good. Now, the next thing you need to understand is that neither demons nor angels care about humans. They are warring with each other, not with you. You're just... living on their preferred battlefield."

 

"They... prefer to fight on Earth?" Gabriel asked slowly.The demon gave him an anxious look before it spoke up again.

 

"It's convenient. It's very hard for a demon to go all the way to Heaven, and equally difficult for an angel to go to Hell. But they can all travel to Earth with little effort. So, they come to your world, kill _your_ people and ruin _your_ homes. All because it's _easier_."

 

It took a few moments for the words to sink in. In the short time the demons had been a threat, hundreds of people had lost their lives. Gabriel's mind went back to the town hall, to the torn bodies and the discarded clothes. _All because it was easier_ , echoed in his head.

 

"Heartbreaking, isn't it? To think that all those people died all because of logistics," the demon said. It seemed genuinely upset.

 

"And what do you propose should be done, then?" Gabriel asked as he crouched down on the sand, staring at the three shapes. The demon mimicked his movement.

 

"Well. I would suggest separating the three planes," it said, as if it was obvious. Gabriel gave it an unimpressed look.

 

"Separate the planes?"

 

"Yes."

 

"And that would stop them from coming over here?"

 

"Yes."

 

"It's that simple?"

 

"Yes." The demon nodded patiently. For a moment, it looked so much like Jack. Same bright eyes, filled with determination and a little bit of insanity. Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

"And _why_ has nobody done this before?" he asked. It was an important question many often forgot to ask. The demon shrugged.

 

"Humans have mostly forgotten about the tethers, and angels and demons kinda like having a place to visit. I'm also not saying it's _easy._ Simple, sure, but definitely not easy."

 

"The tethers?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow. The demon grinned, revealing its pointed teeth.

 

"Humans call them 'The Omnium Pillars'," it explained as five lines appeared in the sand, piercing the three planes. "Think of them as the mooring that connects the planes. Fascinating constructs, fixed points in all three planes. My plan? Destroy them and the planes will drift apart like unfettered ships."

 

Gabriel took a moment to breathe. Inhale. Hold. Count. Exhale.

 

"You can't expect me to believe it's that simple!" he shouted as he stood up. The demon actually jumped at his outburst. "Even if I entertain the idea that you're trustworthy – which I am _not,_ just so you know – you have to admit it sounds almost stupidly simple! You're talking about changing something that for all I know might be holding the world together!"

 

"The world was fine before the pillars were created, they might even have been created specifically to make these wars possible!" the demon countered.

 

"'Might'? You don't even know, do you?" Gabriel huffed and walked off. He only got a few feet before he remembered what a useless endeavor that would be. He settled for sitting down on the sand with his back turned towards his unwanted host.

 

For a while, all he heard was the sound of waves coming in. Rhythmic and soothing, the gentle lull calmed his nerves slightly. His thoughts drifted again, images not just of what had occurred but also of what _could_ happen flickered across his mind. He wasn't a stranger to the idea that desperate times calls for desperate measures.

 

He knew the demon was right about one thing; humanity was not going to win any wars against both demons and angels. The history books spoke of wars like the one the demon said was coming, of horrific times where humanity had been forced to hide as demons sprouted from the earth and angels descended from the clouds. He thought they had mostly been exaggerated legends...

 

"Hey," he called, looking over his shoulder. The demon sat where he had left it, giving him a hopeful look. "What's to stop me from going 'fuck you' and when I wake up I tell my people to go through with this idea of yours?"

 

The demon stood, smiling with Jack's charming smile, and walked over to Gabriel.

 

"Nothing," it said as it sat down next to him. "I gave you that information, the idea, willingly. You owe me nothing and I have nothing to force your hand with. You and I have a shared wish; neither of us want to see this war happen." Its tail flicked behind it, coming around to trace lines in the sand. "If it is your desire, I will once again leave you alone after this. You will not be bothered by me again and you will be free to do what you will with what little I have given you." It looked over at Gabriel, eyes shimmering in an unnatural way. "However, you will have to decide if that is enough. I can be your ally, Gabriel. But this is as far as I'm willing to help you without... compensation."

 

Gabriel felt his eye twitch. "This is my dream, right?" he asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"And you're controlling it?"

 

"Yes."

 

"So I won't wake up until you decide that I can?" The demon shrugged.

 

"You can wake up, but only if someone wakes you. Me or someone else."

 

"So I'm stuck here for now?"

 

"Yes," it grinned, "so you might as well hear me out."

 

With a sigh, Gabriel put his head in his hands. He had been warned about dealing with demons all his life but... he knew enough to know that the true danger was giving up one's soul willingly. As long as he never agreed to that, there was little the demon could do that would hurt anyone but him. A tickling sensation traced itself up his neck, making him look up. The demon was tracing one claw in a lazy line up towards the back of his head. He suppressed a shudder, one that was worryingly far from one of unease.

 

"I realize this might sound strange but we don't have to be enemies, you and I," it said. "I can assist you, assist Overwatch in this. I can offer intelligence your agents could never find, and I can keep your nights calm and undisturbed. Imagine never arriving to a village too late, Gabriel. Think of how many people you'd save." It shifted, moving closer to him and resting its head on his shoulder. "Your dreams could be whatever you want me to make them, you could dream of beautiful landscapes, beautiful people... In your dreams, I can give you all you ever desired."

 

Thoughts of Jack emerged, vivid images of the blond spread out beneath him and...

 

"Yes, even him," the demon said, one hand drifting over Gabriel's arm in a soft caress.

 

"And what would I have to give in return?" he asked, keeping his gaze forward. He couldn't deny this had all become very tempting.

 

"First, I will need you to keep me protected. Tell no one of me lest they try to keep me from you or try to kill you, whichever easier for them at the time," it explained as one clawed hand slowly pulled up the long sleeve of Gabriel's shirt. Once it could reach, it traced tiny circles across his skin. "Second, I have more allies on Earth. If I ask you to, you will help them. If you don't, our deal is off."

 

Gabriel thought for a while. "So what you're saying is... the deal can be broken at any time, if I so choose?" he asked. From the corner of his eye he could see a brief movement on its face, like it was frowning.

 

"I am not offering a deal for your soul, I am offering an alliance. You will help me and I will help you. If you do not want my help, you will not get my help. It is not more complicated than that."

 

"Sounds a little too good to me, for a deal with a demon," Gabriel muttered.

 

"Maybe I am a little too good, for a demon."

 

Taking a deep breath, Gabriel tried to tell himself what he was doing was risky. He didn't stop himself however. He turned, grabbing the demon's hand and pushed the unholy being down on the sand, leaning over it with a fierce look in his eyes.

 

"You try anything funny towards me or mine and I will destroy you, is that clear?" he hissed.

 

"Crystal," it smiled. Idly, Gabriel registered the sensation of its tail stroking the back of his thigh.

 

"Good." He licked his lips. "I'm going to need a name, I'm tired of calling you 'demon' in my head." _And I need to solidify that you're not Jack,_ he though.

 

The demon seemed surprised at this, eyes going wide for just a moment.

 

"Demons don't give out names easily" it said after a while. "But if you have to, you can call me Vanitas."

 

"Vanitas," Gabriel echoed. His latin was rusty so it took a while to translate it. " _Vanity_ , fitting for a desire demon," he laughed.

 

"So you worked _that_ out at least," it – Vanitas grinned. "So, do you want to shake on it? Or do you want something..." Vanitas drifted off as it pulled its tunic higher, baring its body under him, "... more intimate?"

 

 _What the hell,_ Gabriel though. _If I'm going to take this risk I may as well take what I'm given._

 

__

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

The library would have been a mess without Winston and Athena. Well, it was still a mess _physically_ but if you wanted to find, say, a book concerning the history of the Omnic Pillars all you had to do was find the wizard-turned-gorilla – no one quite knew how and Winston himself refused to speak of the matter, and he was quite pleased with his new body anyway – and ask him if he had anything like that. Inevitably, he'd find it in one of the piles that littered the place.

 

"Here we are, _Columnae Omnius._ If you need any help with translating just ask Athena or myself," the friendly gorilla said with a smile big enough to crush a grown man's head. It was funny how, up close, Gabriel always found himself so much more aware of how _small_ he was compared to the gentle librarian. He turned the book over in his hands.

 

"It's rather short," he remarked with a frown.

 

"Ah, yes. I'm surprised you asked for it at all, the pillars are old constructs. Not much is known about them," Winston explained as he adjusted his glasses. A blue light appeared beside him.

 

"The pillars are thought to have been built by a bygone civilization. Their architecture resembles nothing we have seen in either ruins or history books," Athena's gentle voice supplied.

 

"Thank you, Athena. If there is anything you need you know where to find us, Commander." Winston finished with a nod and knuckled away, Athena following close behind him. Gabriel flipped through the book for a few moments. Latin. Fuck. He went off to find a good, secluded corner to work.

 

It had been a few days since his deal with Vanitas. The demon had kept its part of the bargain so far and supplied him with information that helped predict the demons attacks with almost perfect results. Casualties were down, support came from all corners of the world and Jack had even stopped complaining about the portals. So far so good.

 

And his dreams. Oh, his dreams...

 

Gabriel felt his face warm up considerably whenever he thought about what he allowed himself to do with Vanitas. When he had thought it was Jack the sex had been wonderful, but now that the demon had no need to hold back... Growling, Gabriel slammed down the book and a few papers and buckled down to be productive. No thinking about incredibly strange, possibly logic-defying and very, very intense demon sex.

 

"Hey there," a voice interrupted him just as he was getting started. He looked up and blinked a few times. "Is there something on my face?" Jack asked after a few moments of silence.

 

_Nope, just your normal, human face. No horns or glowing eyes or anything._

 

"Sorry, you just surprised me," Gabriel mumbled. "Trying to do some research."

 

"Need any help?" Before Gabriel even answered, Jack had sat himself down beside him. "What are you researching?"

 

"Just... I heard a rumor. I'm trying to find out if there's any truth to it," Gabriel stammered, trying to ignore the fact that Jack was leaning _very_ close to see what he was reading. "It's a long shot but it might just be worth checking out."

 

"The Omnium Pillars?" Jack asked after he had skimmed over the text in front of them for a moment.

 

"Yeah, you know anything about them?"

 

"Not really, I've been to one of them though. It was..." the wizard waved, searching for the right word, "...strange. Kinda unsettling."

 

"How so?"

 

"Well, for starters it was huge," Jack shrugged, eyes taking on a faraway look as he spoke. "It was so tall, I couldn't see the top even though it was a clear day. And it was seamless, no cracks or anything, as if it was all made in one piece."

 

"No one seems to know where they came from either..." Gabriel muttered, tearing his gaze away from Jack's pensive face.

 

"Weirdest thing about it though," Jack continued softly, "I put my ear up to it and I _swear_ I heard something inside it. Like a sizzling, whispering sound."

 

Gabriel hummed in response before he went back to the text. For a while he worked in silence, jotting down translations and notes as he went, occasionally asking Jack for help with a word he couldn't recognize. The wizard had always been better with languages then himself. After a few hours they had quite a bit of knowledge gathered.

 

There were five pillars, one on each continent. All of them uniform, with no runes or glyphs on them that could hint at their origin or purpose. While they could be damaged, they also seemed to be able to heal. Various examples of civilizations trying to leave their mark on them could be found, yet even the slightest dent seemed to disappear within days, leaving only the same, smooth surface in its place. It was when Jack poured over a map of the world with the pillars locations marked that Gabriel felt his breath catch.

 

"Athena!" he called, startling Jack with his sudden outburst. The gentle familiar poofed into existence right next to them.

 

"Yes, Commander Reyes?" her soothing voice inquired.

 

"Get Gérard, tell him to bring his notes on demonic movements."

 

"Yes, Commander Reyes."

 

"What?" Jack asked, a slight hopeful look in his eyes.

 

"Just... an observation. It might not mean anything," Gabriel said, heart hammering in his chest. "Or it could mean everything," he added hesitantly.

 

Gérard arrived quickly, a few books and papers cradled in his arm. He looked slightly disheveled, an unusual thing for him.

 

"I see Amélie arrived safely," Jack smirked, earning a pleased grin from the other man.

 

"I hope you have a good reason for tearing me away from my lovely wife," Gérard quipped, though there was no heat in his words. "Here you are, Commander. Recent movements and observations, areas where they seem to crop up more often are marked in red," he continued as he laid down numerous maps and notes across the table. Gabriel snatched up a few of them and began to compare the maps with the one he had in front of him.

 

"What are we looking for?" Jack asked, leaning closer to Gabriel. Gérard craned his neck from the other side of the table to get a decent look as well. After a few moments of comparing notes and pictures, Gabriel spoke up.

 

"This," he said, pointing to one of Gérard's maps, pulling it close to its respective location on the Omnium Pillar's map. Around the Pillar, denser towards the middle and spreading out as it got further away, red dots marked where the demons appeared. "They seem to crop up closer to the Pillars more often," Gabriel remarked as he compared more of Gérard's findings. "The... the rumor I heard. It said that the Pillars are connecting the three planes. Could it be that it's easier for demons to appear near the Pillars if that is true?" he wondered out loud.

 

"It could," Jack mumbled, "Demons can open portals as they please but they don't seem to be able to decide _where_ they show up with the same flexibility, thank goodness. The Pillars could function as an anchor of sorts, a waypoint."

 

"So if the Pillar wasn't there..?" Gérard mused aloud.

 

"It might make it difficult, even impossible for them to get to our world," Jack finished.

 

The three men grew silent as they thought about it. The moment of 'we might have a solution' hung in the air, dripping slowly into a puddle where tiny ripples of 'we can do this' slowly expanded.

 

"Athena, call the others! We need to discuss this," Gabriel barked, gathering up the various papers.

 

Explaining the idea to the senior members didn't take long. With both Jack and Gérard seemingly on board with the plan, the others posed few objections and only a few questions.

 

"Just out of curiosity," Ana said, tone suggesting that no, she wasn't curious, she was asking if anyone had bothered to think about what she was about to say. "How are we going to damage the things? They seem to heal themselves somehow."

 

"Well, so does a human body. Nicks and scratches heal quickly but you can't heal back, say, a lost arm," Jack offered.

 

"I can testify to that," Torbjörn laughed. "I say it's worth a try, but we need a lot more than what we have at our disposal right now. We're equipped to fight demons, not... buildings."

 

"And if demons _are_ using them as waypoints, as Jack suggested, it is likely that they know their value and would defend them," Gérard said.

 

"True, we will need more people. Any suggestions?"

 

The group fell silent for a few moments. A few 'hmm's and 'eeeh's could be heard.

 

"I might be able to get us some more Crusaders, if I pull a few strings," Reinhardt said, a slight hopeful look in his eyes.

 

"I have a few favours I can call in, but I'm not sure if it will get us what we need," Ana said.

 

"What about recruiting non-humans?" Jack asked, making everyone stare. "What? It's their world too," he pointed out, meekly. A glazed look came over several eyes.

 

"You're seriously suggesting we ask Fair Folk and Were-creatures if they want to fight alongside us?" Gérard asked, slightly horrified. It wasn't so much that he, or people in general, _disliked_ non-numans. It was just that non-humans had a great memory, which helped them remember their history – unlike humans, who routinely forgot one thing or two such as wars and unethical behaviour. Non-humans mere existence had a tendency to remind them of things they'd rather forget.

 

"Why not? If anything, we should be able to find common ground in a common enemy," Jack shrugged. "I think it would be senseless to not _try_ at least."

 

"It's a good idea, we'll keep it for consideration for now," Gabriel said before anyone else could weigh in on this particularly sensitive subject. Jack's heart was in the right place but even Gabriel could get weary of his idealistic view of the world. A cough from Torbjörn pulled everyone's attention to the dwarf.

 

"I can get in touch with the Ironclad Guild, get us some trebuchets or similar."

 

"Do that. Jack, if you are serious about the idea, don't hesitate to look into how we might be able to approach any new allies. You've always had a way with people," Gabriel said as he looked over the maps again. "I think you're right though," he muttered after a while. "We're going to need all the help we can get..."

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

Behind closed eyes, Gabriel tried to center himself. At the edge of his awareness he felt the gentle, warm touches of Vanitas' fingers trace mindless patterns across his skin. The demon was no longer holding back, using its unnatural powers to draw out pleasures a human body could never give.

 

But even with the skilled and sensual movements shaking him to his very core, even with the image of Vanitas teasing him by using its own tail to prepare itself for him fresh in his head, thoughts rose unbidden from the commander's mind.

 

"You're really out of your head tonight," Vanitas mumbled from between Gabriel's legs. "I'm starting to feel insulted." A forked tongue – one that Gabriel had just learned was long and flexible enough to wrap fully around his girth – slipped out to give Gabriel's cock a swift lick to get his attention back to the demon. Gabriel gave the demon a blank stare.

 

"I'm... distracted," he said, though there was no hiding the breathlessness of his voice as he spoke.

 

Once again, Vanitas had shaped his dream into something breathtakingly beautiful. Wherever they where, it had the look of a palace. Walls of marble with intricate mosaics stretched far above them. Tapestries depicting unknown histories hung from them, each one as detailed and enigmatic as the next. They both lay on a slab of stone covered in blankets and pillows at the centre of a huge room, a seat fit for a sultan.

 

Vanitas stared up at him, a disappointed frown on its face.

 

"You know, if you don't want me to do this I'll stop," it said, giving Gabriel's shaft a squeeze. "I'm not saying I'm not _enjoying_ myself here, but I'm not getting anything out of this if you don't." With a soft sound, the demon's tail pulled itself out making Vanitas moan slightly.

 

Gabriel kept staring. "What makes you think I'm not enjoying it, it's... _nice._ " That was the understatement of the year, but the demon didn't need to know that. It probably did though, if the smirk as it watched Gabriel's eyes follow the slicked tail's movement was any indication.

 

"I can tell you like it," Vanitas laughed, leaning down to nuzzle the coarse hair at the base. "But you don't _want_ want it. You're just going along with it. There's no _desire_ in you to be sucked right now." The demon huffed and stood up, leaving Gabriel's dick woefully unattended.

 

"Wait, you can't just..." Gabriel started, feeling dreadfully ignored for a moment before he thought about what the demon had said. He sighed. "You're right, I... there's too much for me to think about right now, blowjobs are not exactly a priority right now."

 

"See, then I'll leave you be until it becomes one. So what _is_ a priority for you right now?" Vanitas asked as it sank back down on the pillows, lounging like it didn't have a care in the world. Gabriel sighed as he looked the demon over. Jack's face and body shape was almost the only point that was a constant fixture since their _arrangement_ had started. The horns, claws, tail and tongue seemed to be the only demonic quality about it apart from the ghostly pale skin and ivory hair. It's eyes sometimes looked human, though there was always a glow to them.

 

"Overwatch needs more allies," he mumbled as he made himself more comfortable. "I presented your idea. But we can't go through with it as we are now."

 

Vanitas hummed, its eyes closing as it seemed to relax. Even with the horns it looked so much like Jack. Gabriel had to put effort into not reaching over to card his fingers through its hair.

 

"We're going to try to make an alliance with non-humans, but I'm not so sure they'll listen to us even with the demons around," Gabriel continued, mostly to fill the silence and distract himself from the demon's alluring disguise.

 

"Hmm, fae and werefolk are generally harder for demons to deal with. They don't get tempted like humans do," Vanitas sighed and sunk further into the pillows. "Though they are slow to forget a kind turn, as well as an evil deed. Your best bet is helping one who is influential and work from there."

 

"Uh-huh," Gabriel nodded as he stared up at the ceiling far above. He couldn't quite make out the patterns in it from such a distance, but he found himself mesmerized nonetheless. A tickling sensation brought his attention down to his midsection where a clawed finger danced lazily across his skin. Vanitas grinned at him.

 

"And I might just know the right individual," it said.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

"I'm glad you decided to accompany me," Jack said as they rode towards the portal. "I know this might be a long shot, but I really do think it's a good idea." Immortal whinnied in protest as they came close to the portal. Clearly she didn't agree with her master.

 

"Anytime," Gabriel muttered, not looking forward to the trip. As if the fact that the portals still made him very uncomfortable wasn't enough, there was the whole matter of why he had asked Jack to let him join. "Besides, it'll be just like the old days," he added, a bit more cheerfully.

 

"Ah, feels like a lifetime ago sometimes," Jack laughed as he rode into the portal. Gabriel followed right behind. They came out near a heavily wooded area, a small town was located just near the portal. Falling into the comfortable silence friendship tends to create, they rode towards it.

 

The town was quaint, but not much to look at. It had good connections however, with a river passing through it to alleviate trade considerably. Neither of them had come for the town, though. They left their horses in the village and made their way towards the forest. The woods in this area had many fae living in it, and many were friendly with the locals. Jack had expressed his desire to start recruiting there. And Gabriel... had his own reasons.

 

His eyes darted to his bag for the eighth time since they left the base. Sneaking around and stealing from his own organization felt wrong in so many ways, even if most of the things were easily replaced. The demon had been very clear that the herbs he needed to bring would have to be fresh and untouched. It had not mentioned what they needed them for. So now, with a bag full of alfalfa, feverfew, mandrake, ginger and one very rare flower, he had no idea what was going to happen next.

 

"I've missed this, you know," Jack said as they entered the forest. "Just you and me against the world. What was it you used to say?"

 

"'This is how it is supposed to be, just Jack and Gabe'," Gabriel smiled.

 

"Yeah, just us." Jack was beaming as he looked over at him. For a few moments, Gabriel allowed himself to imagine that they were back to how they used to be. Just two mercenaries, exploring the world together. "I miss us," Jack said with a slight wistful look in his eyes. Gabriel felt his face heat up considerably, his thoughts taking the opportunity to hone in on that small word. 'Us'. Him and Jack. Together. Travelling together, eating together, sleeping together and...

 

Unbidden, images of curved horns and a long tail invaded Gabriel's mind.

 

"You've been so... distant lately," Jack said quietly. "I know it's stressful work, to say the least, but I just want you to remember that I'm there for you. These days it... feels like you're not even looking at me properly." The words reached Gabriel's ears as if travelling underwater.

 

 _How can I look at you?_ Gabriel thought before he could stop himself. _If you knew what I was doing in my dreams – what I'm pretending is you in my dreams – you wouldn't meet my gaze, would you?_

 

"But hey, we're here now and together I'm sure we can get—"

 

"Jack."

 

They stopped. Around them the forest whispered as the wind made its way through branches and leaves. Some birdsong could be heard. Everything was calm in the way only a forest full of life could be.

 

"There's something I need to ask of you, something I only trust you to do," Gabriel said quietly. He kept his gaze lowered, not quite trusting himself to go through with his plans if he looked into those blue eyes too long.

 

"What is it?" Jack asked, slipping into the pragmatic persona he often took whenever he could sense Gabriel's stress.

 

"I need you to move on ahead alone, and when we get back..." Gabriel sighed, hoping he wasn't asking too much. "I need you to tell the others I was with you the whole time. I have something I need to do. Alone."

 

For a while, only the forest could be heard. Gabriel's stomach churned as Jack regarded his commander in silence.

 

"And no one can know?" the wizard asked.

 

"No one."

 

"Can _I_ know what you need to do?"

 

Gabriel hesitated for a moment. "No," he said.

 

A hurt look came over Jack's face. For a few moments, the wizard was quiet before he took a deep sigh and stepped closer to Gabriel.

 

"Can you promise me you'll be okay?" he asked, eyes soft as he looked straight into Gabriel's own.

 

"... Yeah. I think I will be," Gabriel muttered.

 

"Good enough, I suppose."

 

"I can promise I'll be careful."

 

"... Okay. I'll tell people you were with me if they ask," Jack sighed. "Shame. I was looking forward to spending some time with you," he continued. Then he did something that surprised Gabriel. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Jack reached up and stroked Gabriel's cheek. Even with the glove separating their skin, his fingers left a soft tingle in their wake. "Where do we meet up then? We'll have to return together if we're going to make it believable," Jack murmured.

 

With great effort, Gabriel tried to focus on replying, instead of focusing on the fact that Jack was so close now that their chests were almost touching. He could feel Jack's breath in his face and his fingers had moved from Gabriel's cheek to the side of his jaw. As much as he wanted to savor the moment, as any form of touch from Jack was rare and treasured, he did have a mission to accomplish.

 

"We'll meet up just outside the forest, where we entered. My mission shouldn't take more than a few hours," he managed to get out even as he leaned into Jack's touch.

 

"Alright," Jack nodded and took a few steps back. "You'll come back to me, won't you?" Jack asked. Drawing a deep breath to collect himself, Gabriel nodded firmly. He watched as Jack turned and moved deeper into the forest. He didn't move himself until Jack was out of sight.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

After a while of wandering in a different direction from Jack, Gabriel started to doubt he had made the right choice. Vanitas had left him clear but short instructions. _"Go northwest until I stop you"_.

 

As far as instructions went, they were easy. He couldn't help but to think of something Torbjörn had told him though. About how there was a magical construct called a Golem which carried out any instruction it was given. A marvelous creation, it could build homes, till fields, carry goods and so much more. However, it lacked free will. If their masters didn't tell it to stop, it... wouldn't.

 

He didn't like how much that little story popped into his head as he walked through the woods.

 

Suddenly, Gabriel heard a noise from above him. Before he could look up, something slapped him playfully across the back of his head. He turned, facing a familiar tail.

 

"You're looking deep in thought," Vanitas said, lounging on a thick branch above. With a frown, Gabriel gave the tail a tug. The demon gave a startled, and somewhat sensual, yelp. "Careful! That's sensitive!" it called as it moved to drop down next to the ranger.

 

It still looked like Jack, and as soon as it dropped down the tail disappeared, making it look identical to the wizard apart from the clothes it wore. Rather than the blue robe Jack wore, Vanitas was dressed in simple clothing. A leather jacket was the most eye-catching of his wardrobe.

 

"I hope you realize what you're asking of me," Gabriel muttered as he hefted his bag. "I brought what you asked for. I'm stealing from and lying to my people," he growled.

 

"Don't worry, this will help you more than it will help me," Vanitas laughed as it took the bag from him. It checked the contents briefly and nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. This will do."

 

"Mind telling me what you're going to use these herbs for?"

 

"You'll see, we're meeting with my friend in a little bit now."

 

"Your friend?"

 

Vanitas held up a finger in the air and closed it's eyes. For a moment it just stood there.

 

"He's coming," it whispered.

 

"Who?"

 

"Shhh."

 

The area around them was thick with trees. Anywhere Gabriel turned, his vision was limited by the thick trunks and foliage. The susurrus of the forest sang its gentle song. Everything seemed still and undisturbed.

 

Then he heard it. A few soft cracks in the distance.

 

"Whatever you do," Vanitas said as the sounds drew closer, "try to be polite. He's nicer than he looks."

 

The sounds grew from a soft noise to a disturbance and finally to a cacophony of snaps and crackles. Facing the sound, Gabriel could see trees bending and leaves rustling as _something_ emerged from the woods. An enormous creature appeared before him, one big and strong enough to make grown trees fall in its wake. It was huge and hairy, with two great tusks that looked like they could crush a mans head with ease.

 

"Wereboar," Gabriel breathed.

 

The giant creature came to a stop before them, its giant body towering over both man and demon. Its head was in the shape of a hog and its short hind legs ended in cloven hooves. Its arms were almost the size of Gabriel himself.

 

"Hey there, Mako!" Vanitas greeted with a big smile. The creature huffed in response. "This is Gabe, he's the one I told you about," it continued, giving Gabriel a pat on the shoulder as it spoke. Another huff.

 

"... Nice to make your acquaintance," Gabriel said hesitantly, hoping dearly that it was, indeed, nice. This time the creature grunted.

 

"Might want to shift, Mako," Vanitas said. "Makes things easier if you can talk in a way Gabe can understand too."

 

Gabriel had never seen a werecreature shift before. As he watched Mako change, he kinda wished he still hadn't. It wasn't a smooth transformation, like he had imagined it would be. The giant creature twitched and convulsed before him, shrinking as sounds that sounded horribly close to bones breaking came from its body. When the shift finally stopped, however, Gabriel couldn't help but to feel like it had only gone halfway.

 

"Better?" the man known as Mako rumbled. He _still_ towered over the other two. Vanitas gave Gabriel a hopeful look before elbowing him to urge him to say something.

 

"I, uhh... Never knew were-creatures could shift without ending up... naked," Gabriel said. It was the only thing he could think that formed a complete sentence. The wereboar wasn't wearing much, but he was wearing a pair of pants that made Gabriel very happy. However curious he might be about the creature's... proportions, it would not do to be distracted at this time.

 

"Some of us don't," Mako said, his voice taking on the quality of a friendly thunderstorm. He looked Gabriel up and down, or at least down and further down, and gave a satisfied grunt. "He'll do, come." The wereboar turned and led them down the path he had come. Vanitas strolled behind the creature with the air of someone who felt utterly at peace with the other's presence.

 

"Hang on, Vanitas," Gabriel called, making both the demon and Mako stop. "You can't go around looking like that."

 

"Like what?"

 

"Like _Jack_ , like the _real_ Jack!" Gabriel wailed. "The real Jack is somewhere in the woods too, you can't look like him in the real world!"

 

Vanitas regarded the Commander for a few moments with a critical expression. It seemed to mull it over for a while before it held up two fingers in a "hold on a moment" sign before it, too, shifted. This transformation was nowhere near as unpleasant or extreme as Mako's. Jack's features changed slowly, almost naturally. Vanitas grew more pale, slightly more gaunt and its hair grew white and receded slightly. It _aged._

 

"Better?" it asked in a slightly more gravely voice after the Golden Boy's visage had turned into a Silver Fox.

 

 _Damn, Jack is going to age well,_ Gabriel thought as he felt his cheeks heat up and something in him noted that that voice would sound lovely moaning in his ear. Vanitas grinned.

 

"Oh, I think _something_ is becoming a priority for you again," it laughed. "Hope this shape will do, changing too much will take a lot out of me. Let's get going, Mako." Vanitas turned and followed the wereboar again. Gabriel noted, begrudgingly, that it took on a much more sensual gait than before.

 

The trio walked for quite some time. Mako was clearly a man of few words, with Vanitas occasionally asking how the were-creature had been or what was new. The two seemed close, Gabriel observed. Who knew demons made friends?

 

"Last I heard you took two kids under your wing, you big old softie," Vanitas said, giving Mako a playful shove. A pointless effort, the huge man didn't even seem to notice.

 

"They're good boys," Mako grunted.

 

"Always knew you were the domestic type!"

 

"Ha!"

 

"Come on, like you've never thought about having little piglets! Little mini-Makos running around, like minions of the apocalypse!" the demon laughed.

 

"Thought about it. Won't, though," Mako rumbled. He grew quiet for a while, his pace slowed down slightly as he seemed to consider his next words. With one cautious glance at Gabriel, he continued. "They wouldn't be like me," he explained.

 

"Oh," Vanitas mumbled. "Right, of course they wouldn't..."

 

"Therianthropy isn't hereditary?" Gabriel asked, making both non-humans stop and look back at him. "Sorry, I'm bored and you're talking loudly. Don't blame me for eavesdropping on your conversation," he shrugged. Mako gave him a piercing stare.

 

"It is, but that's not the problem," he grumbled before resuming his pace. Vanitas slowed down until it was side to side with Gabriel as they followed the large man.

 

"You don't know much about shapeshifters, do you?" it asked pleasantly.

 

"No, never had much of a chance to learn," Gabriel explained with a shake of his head.

 

"Hmm, well you'll probably learn a lot today. Mako is... well respected among his people. He knows many, and is known by even more. When he speaks, people listen."

 

"So he's the influential individual you mentioned."

 

"Exactly. With him as an ally, you'll have a lot more pull with non-humans," Vanitas smiled.

 

They kept their pace and after a while they reached a rocky outcrop. Travelling down a hillside by the cliff, they reached what seemed to be a small camp. The moment they got close, a figure poked out its head from a small cave in the cliff. It stepped out, revealing itself to be a young man.

 

"About time you came back!" the man drawled. "Did you find who you were lookin' for?"

 

"No worries," Mako grunted as Gabriel and Vanitas stepped out from behind him. "This one's Vanitas," he muttered as a huge hand came down on the demon's shoulder. "And this one's 'Gabe'."

 

"Gabriel," Gabriel corrected.

 

The young man stepped forward, allowing Gabriel to take a better look at him. He was shaggy and well built, with brown hair that came down to his chin. He had a scruffy beard and eyes that seemed sharper than any human eyes Gabriel had ever seen.

 

"Name's Jesse," the young man said and gave a wave with his left hand. Said hand was not a natural one, but a magical prosthesis much like Torbjörn's. "You're the Overwatch feller we've heard so much about?"

 

"That's me," Gabriel confirmed.

 

"That makes the other one the demon, yeah?" Jesse asked and looked over at Vanitas who nodded. Jesse shifted on his feet slightly. "Can you really help us?" he asked. Before Gabriel could say anything, Vanitas stepped forward.

 

"If what Mako told me is correct, definitely. Can you bring your friend?"

 

Jesse nodded and slipped into the cave again. Gabriel couldn't help but to feel like he was out of the loop on... everything.

 

"You haven't told me anything, what are we doing here?" he hissed at Vanitas.

 

"Making allies, and quiet down. Werewolves have great hearing."

 

"The boy's a werewolf?"

 

"You really can't tell?"

 

"How _would_ I tell?!"

 

Vanitas sighed and pulled Gabriel closer. Close enough for Gabriel to smell the scent of ash and smoke that demons always had. It wasn't as unpleasant as it should have been.

 

"If you're unsure of anything, stay quiet and ask me later. But for now? I need you to trust me. Our goals align, remember? I want you to succeed, so everything I'm doing here will be to reach that end." With that, the demon stepped close to the cave just as Jesse came back out. He was holding something wrapped up in a blanket in his arms.

 

Make that some _one._

 

Gently, Jesse knelt down and laid the person he was holding down on the ground before Vanitas. He pulled the blanket free from the person's face, revealing a gaunt, pale and sweaty young man.

 

"S' cold..." the man whined.

 

"I know, darlin'. Bear with it for a while," Jesse murmured and stroked the sick man's forehead."He's been like this for a few days now," he said as he looked up at Vanitas. "We had a bit of a run-in with some demons, Jamieson got pretty badly hurt." With care, Jesse pulled the blanket from Jamieson's body, revealing a dark cut just under his chest. The wound was black. Dark lines streaked out from it, veins going gray under the skin. But most noticeably, the wound smelled of sulfur.

 

"Demon's blood. He's infected," Vanitas noted.

 

"He can't keep his temperature, he's unable to shift and we think he's delirious," Mako rumbled behind them.

 

"You _think_?"

 

"It's hard to tell with him," the wereboar shrugged.

 

"Don't come the raw prawn with me..!"

 

"We're not, Jamieson."

 

Gabriel watched the spectacle from the sidelines, eyes shifting from the concerned look on Jesse's face, to the small signs of the same feeling on Mako's and finally to the steady gaze of Vanitas. The demon studied the wound carefully. After a while it nodded and pulled the blanket back over the young man's body.

 

"I can help him. Thanks to Gabriel," Vanitas said with a slight smile in Gabriel's direction. It pulled several of the herbs from Gabriel's bag and started to pick out the best ones of the bunch. "Make a fire and boil some water. I will prepare an antidote."

 

As Mako moved to prepare a fire and Jesse was busy comforting Jamieson – Gabriel noted that when the sickly man reached out to grip Jesse's hand it was with one that was also a magical prosthesis – Gabriel sat down next to Vanitas who had started to pick the herbs apart.

 

"What's going on?" he whispered. "What's wrong with the kid?" Vanitas didn't even look up as he replied.

 

"Demon blood is... quite dangerous. Some demons have acidic blood, the blood of others are a potent poison. The boy is simply infected," Vanitas said quietly.

 

"And you just happened to need a favour from Mako, just as his friend needed your help?"

 

"Just a coincidence, I assure you. I would never be so foolish as to threaten Mako's ward."

 

"Just who _is_ Mako then, to be so important that befriending him might help us?" Gabriel hissed, casting a quick glance to the three shifters to see if they were listening.

 

"... Someone very old," Vanitas mumbled. "With age comes experience, with experience comes power and with power comes respect. Mako is a _legend._ "

 

It didn't take long for Mako to get some water boiling. Once that was done, Vanitas added pieces of the herbs to the water and then, very gently, picked up the flower. With its large, black petals and blood red pistils it looked right at home in the hands of a demon.

 

"Hm. Glad you got it, would have been hard for me to get a Death Blossom by myself," Mako said.

 

"Oh, as if you didn't need me for the next step anyway," the demon replied as it held the flower in a cupped hand.

 

"Don't get cocky, just cure the boy," Mako rumbled.

 

"Alright," Vanitas chuckled. "This may get a bit messy." The demon pulled out a knife from its boot. Its dark and crooked edge gleamed as Vanitas held its hand over the boiling herbs and the knife above the hand.

 

In one swift movement, Vanitas brought the knife down, piercing both the flower and the hand. Dark, thick blood dripped into the water, the smell of fire and brimstone erupting from the concoction. Gritting its teeth, Vanitas plunged its hand into the boiling liquid.

 

"Aw, hell..." Jesse swore. Jamieson, who was resting against him, made a face.

 

"Oi, tell me I'm not gonna drink that," he moaned weakly

 

"Sorry, Firecracker. Think you gotta..." the werewolf murmured as he put an arm around Jamieson and pulled him closer.

 

The liquid bubbled around Vanitas' hand, making the demon hiss and twist its face in pain. Yet it held steady, not pulling its hand back an inch as the potion started to take on a dark red hue.

 

"Almost done..." the demon said through clenched teeth. "... Thanks Gabe."

 

With a start, Gabriel realized he had closed the distance between himself and Vanitas and was rubbing gentle, soothing circles across the demon's back. Under his hand, Vanitas shuddered. Heavy, controlled breaths spilled from its lips and beads of sweat rolled down its face.

 

 _Huh,_ Gabriel found himself thinking. _Who knew demons could sweat? Never thought about that before._

 

Carefully, in an almost ritualistic way, Vanitas removed its hand from the liquid. Once the knife had been removed and the fluid wiped off, its skin was untouched. Just the wound from the knife was left.

 

"The herbs, and a bit of magic, protected me," it explained once it saw Gabriel's questioning face. "The Blossom together with the blood of a demon will help the kid."

 

"But your hand..?"

 

"It'll heal," Vanitas murmured, despite the hole in said hand. "Demons heal faster than humans, don't worry."

 

"I'm not—"

 

 _I_ am _worried._

 

The realization struck like lightning from a clear sky. He was _concerned_ . Over a _demon_.

 

Too caught up in his thoughts, Gabriel didn't even notice that Vanitas had moved closer to him and leaned into his touch until the demon gave a relieved sigh. Its face relaxed, the frown of pain giving way to a calm look that made its aged features soften. Despite himself, Gabriel felt himself pull it closer. He watched as Mako poured the concoction into a bottle and set it to the side to cool. Jamieson seemed to stare blankly at the bottle, clearly dreading the idea that he'd have to move the contents from the container to his body and none of the methods of doing so seemed to appeal to him. With a little whine, the young man reached up and laced his artificial fingers with Jesse's.

 

"You should get back to your wizard," Vanitas said after a while. "Mako knows what to do next, he won't go back on his word."

 

"What about you?" Gabriel asked, a bit hesitant.

 

"What about me?"

 

Slowly, Gabriel took Vanitas' wounded hand in his own, careful not to touch the wound itself. The demon had been serious, just after a few minutes it looked a lot better than before.

 

"You sure you'll be fine?" he asked, his voice softer than he expected. When he looked back into the demon's eyes, there was a softness there as well.

 

"...I will," Vanitas said with a small smile. A cough in front of them made both look up. Mako stood over them, mountainous and quiet. The wereboar looked between them for a few moments, making Gabriel very much aware that he was cuddling a demon.

 

"You have our thanks," Mako rumbled. "I'll make sure to spread the word, within a week Overwatch will have their allies." Gabriel stood up. It didn't help much, he still had to tilt his head back a fair ammount to look Mako in the eye.

 

"Good to hear, I'll make sure any non-humans are welcomed with open arms—"

 

"And we'll join too." Before he could stop himself, Gabriel's mouth fell open. Vanitas stood up beside him, eyebrows raised in surprise.

 

"Really?" it asked, not bothering to hide the tone in its voice.

 

"Really. Once Jamieson can move on his own we'll make our way to you. This is _our_ world, they're not taking it from us," Mako boomed, hitting his chest for emphasis. His huge body rippled from the impact. "I'll take things from here, you two can go." With that, the huge man turned, leaving the two alone.

 

"Well..." Vanitas started. "I'll escort you some of the way, come on."

 

They walked in silence for a while. As much as Gabriel wanted to make plans, to think about how Overwatch would accommodate their new allies and how any disputes would have to be put down quickly, his eyes kept darting back to Vanitas' hand. The demon held it to its chest, its face occasionally twitching whenever it failed to hide the pain from the wound.

 

Even if Vanitas had an ulterior motive, Gabriel had never heard of a demon who would help others at its own expense.

 

"What is Mako to you?" he asked after a while, making Vanitas look up at him in surprise. "I just... want to understand. I never thought I'd see a demon help someone without compensation, so unless there's something about this deal you're not telling me..."

 

Vanitas stilled, making them both stop their pace. The demon opened its mouth to reply, but didn't say anything. With a furrowed brow, it looked down at the ground for a few moments.

 

 _It has even copied the way Jack looks when he's searching for words,_ Gabriel thought.

 

"Do you know what an Ageless is?" Vanitas asked after a while. Gabriel shook his head. "Well, it's the closest thing a mortal can get to being an immortal. Its when..." It hesitated, giving Gabriel a worried look. "Its when a mortal has their soul taken from them, or when they give it away. Mako is Ageless, soulless."

 

Gabriel stared. Souls was a subject he had little knowledge in, but he did know a few things. One, it was not a good idea to give your soul to someone else. Two, the only times he heard about people giving up their souls, it was when they gave them to demons.

 

"Did you..?"

 

"No. Mako is actually much older than I am. He told me he gave his willingly to his God," Vanitas shrugged. "He later found out it wasn't so much a God as much as a demon that protected his people in exchange for souls. And then... the demon was destroyed. And Mako's soul with it. Since then, he has wandered the earth aimlessly."

 

"And that's how he got old enough to have such pull with other creatures?"

 

"Exactly. He's been a warrior, a chief, a king in all but name..." Idly, Vanitas rubbed at its hand. "But he likes travelling. I met him when I was just a child. He was..." The demon trailed off.

 

"Was..?" Gabriel urged, closing the distance between them.

 

"... My first friend," Vanitas confessed, so quietly he almost didn't hear it. The sincerity in the demon's voice took Gabriel by surprise. For the life of him, in that moment, he couldn't see the being before him as anything other than...

 

Lonely.

 

"I... I am a weak demon, Gabriel," Vanitas continued. "I'm not welcome in many places, Inferna included. I used to hide on earth and observe humanity by myself. Mako was the first being who didn't care what I was. If I acted like shit, he treated me like shit. If I acted friendly, he did the same. He'd tell me about his travels, his experiences. He'd tell me about humans. He made me..." It trailed off again. "Mako made me love this world." Blue eyes looked up and locked with Gabriel’s. "I'll die before I let my kin destroy it!" Vanitas vowed with such fervor that Gabriel found his breath caught in his throat.

 

 _Jack always looked so good with he's determined, that's why I'm feeling like this,_ a little voice said at the back of his head. Slowly, Gabriel nodded and made a decision.

 

"Give me your hand," he said, offering his own.

 

"I told you, I'll heal quickly—"

 

"Yeah, but you're in pain aren't you?"

 

Hesitantly, Vanitas gave its wounded hand to Gabriel, who held it gingerly in his own. He placed his other hand above the demon's and took a deep breath. Familiar tendrils searched within him, finding the still waters within and dipping into them gently, pulling power from his core. A light dropped down on Vanitas' hand, enveloping it like a shroud. There was a small gasp from the demon as the light faded.

 

"Better?" Gabriel asked, though he knew the answer.

 

"It's gone, just like that?" Vanitas gasped. The wound was still there, but Gabriel knew from experience that if the demon didn't look, it wouldn't know it was there anymore.

 

"It'll help for a while. A few hours, tops."

 

"But that kind of magic..."

 

"Don't say it," Gabriel warned.

 

"Humans can't..."

 

"Don't!"

 

"I knew you were an angel!" Vanitas exclaimed with an almost reverent look on its face. Gabriel groaned.

 

"Half! _Half_ angel, if you must call me anything other than human!" he complained, taking a few steps back and rubbing his face with one hand. _Maybe this was a mistake..._

 

"A halfling..." Vanitas whispered. "I could feel it, I could feel your soul was different!"

 

"Don't get any funny ideas! It's not like it matters anyway, this magic," Gabriel waved his hand in the air, "is the only thing I got from my... _father._ " The last word was not quite a snarl, but it may have been its more mellow cousin. "And it's not even useful, _convenient_ maybe but pain is there for a reason! Don't hurt yourself more just because you can't feel it, by the way." Vanitas was still looking at him wide-eyed and a small smile tugging at its lips.

 

"I've never met an... never met a halfling before," the demon said.

 

"Well, breathe it in, it doesn't get more special than this," Gabriel groaned. Frustrated, he paced back and forth for a few moments. He never liked this conversation, that's why he tried to never have it. "When I grew up, some people knew. I don't know how, I never knew my birth-father. As far as I am concerned, my mother was my only parent, a human and an angel all at once," he explained, voice growing softer as his thoughts drifted to his mother. "People treated me so differently, put these rules on me to 'protect' me. People alternated between treating me like some otherworldly, powerful creature and a fragile little doll. I hated being a halfling, because being both means being _neither!_ "

 

Vanitas stared at him as he spoke, face unmoving and eyes unblinking.

 

"I don't know how the rumors caught up with me again, but I don't want them to haunt me for the rest of my days. I just want to be _Gabriel—_ "

 

Before he could continue, Vanitas crashed into him with a rib-crushing hug. Silver hair tickled Gabriel's cheek as the demon nuzzled into his neck. " _Gabriel,_ " it breathed. For a while, Gabriel stood there, unsure of how to respond. Carefully, he put his arms around Vanitas body, feeling it shake slightly in his embrace. The forest stirred around them. The wind grew from a whisper to a howl through the trees. In the small gaps between the trees, the sky had gone noticeably darker since Gabriel and Jack had parted ways.

 

"I should go," Gabriel mumbled, earning a small nod from Vanitas. Neither moved. "Jack is probably waiting for me." Another nod. Carefully, and not certain of why, Gabriel placed his chin on top of Vanitas' head and breathed in. The smell of ash and fire wasn't unpleasant. Slowly, he placed a kiss against the demon's earlobe.

 

"Stay a while," Vanitas whispered in his ear. The husky voice, so much like Jack's but _more_ , sounded even better than he thought it would.

 

He wasn't sure why he stayed, but he didn't regret it.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

"What took you so long?" Jack asked when Gabriel finally made his way to the forest's entrance. The sky had gone dark now. It was a little jarring to have gone as far as he did with Vanitas in the real world, where hickies didn't disappear when he woke up and he was fairly certain he smelled suspicious at this point. Jack, thankfully, didn't seem to take notice.

 

"There were... unforeseen circumstances," Gabriel mumbled. "What about you?" Jack practically wilted at the question.

 

"Well, I may have gotten lost for quite a while. And then I kinda... stepped on someone's home? I think? Long story short, I spent a lot of time apologizing and not much time recruiting." The wizard sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," he said. "I think this was a failure for me."

 

"Well, if we're lucky my mission was a success," Gabriel shrugged. It didn't feel like he was returning victorious, mainly because he hadn't really _done_ anything.

 

 _Except for Vanitas,_ a little voice in his head laughed. He silently cursed his sense of humor.

 

Jack lit up with a smile that never failed to make Gabriel's knees weak. "Well, let’s rehearse our story on the way back. I'm telling them it was you who pissed off a gnome by caving in their living room," he laughed as they made their way back towards the town.

 

"Excuse me, that will never work. I am _graceful,_ " Gabriel chuckled.

 

"Oh we'll make it work, I can be very persuasive!"

 

They fell back into comfortable banter as if they had never left each other's side. As the stars peeked out behind heavy clouds up above, the smell of ash clung to them both.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

It was impressive, how much Overwatch had grown only these last few days. On the fields outside the fortress encampments had cropped up like crocus in spring. With every new wave of recruits came fighters, merchants and artisans, making the whole area grow into a community on its own. As Gabriel walked through the encampment he felt surprisingly anonymous. The clamor and bustle of multiple groups all focusing on their own thing allowed him to slip by almost unnoticed. It was a familiar, but missed feeling he hadn't had since he and Jack traveled together.

 

"It's almost unreal," Jack breathed behind him. "This place was empty just a week ago." Once in awhile, the wizard stopped to watch someone work, an Ironclad dwarf hammering armor or a Crusader carefully caring for their weapon. Each time, Gabriel waited patiently until Jack's curiosity was sated and they could move on.

 

"It's in times like this I'm reminded of what a little farm-boy you are," he teased as Jack caught up with him again. Jack scoffed, but didn't retort with anything but a disarming smile.

 

They made their way to the edge of the encampment. Or rather, where the divide between the camps was wide enough to be considered the line that separated two camps. Years and years of distrust and resentment was difficult to erase. True to Mako's word, non-humans had shown up one after one, sometimes in packs, to join Overwatch. While both Gabriel and Jack had done their very best to make sure they were welcomed as any other recruit, most of them preferred to keep their distance.

 

Almost at the dead-center of the non-human encampment was Mako's tent. The huge creature sat outside, seemingly taking some time off as he sat in front of a fire. His chosen spot had been given a generous berth, like a king at court. As they approached, Gabriel couldn't shake the feeling that everything became a great deal more quiet.

 

"I hope you've settled in nicely?" he asked as he approached, receiving only a grunt in response. Mako nodded to a spot across from him, prompting his two visitors to sit down. For a while, things were quiet.

 

"I don't believe we've met," the wereboar rumbled after a while. "Mako Rutledge," he nodded towards Jack.

 

"Oh, er, Jack. Jack Morrison," the wizard mumbled with a slight bow of his head. "Though from what I've gathered, we should at least pretend this isn't our first meeting?" he added, glancing over to Gabriel. They had agreed that their cover story had them work together to gain Mako's trust. The huge man chuckled deeply and nodded.

 

"I trust everything's been peaceful between you and your kin and the other members of Overwatch?" Gabriel asked.

 

"Of course,"Mako laughed, "if there is any problem here I will let you know." He had barely finished his sentence before an explosion came from inside his tent. A spout of flame burned a hole in the roof of the canvas. "That is not a problem," Mako added calmly as both Jack and Gabriel scrambled to get up.

 

"Make way, coming through!" a voice called from the smoking interior. After a few moments, Jesse emerged, dragging Jamieson behind him.

 

"Aw, c'mon mate, it wasn't that bad!"

 

"I'm pretty sure you had more eyebrow a minute ago, partner."

 

"My eyebrows are fine!" Jamieson whined as Jesse dragged him away from the tent. His hair was still burning slightly.

 

"Is everything alright?" Jack asked, already standing ready to offer assistance. Mako waved at him, prompting him to sit down.

 

"My boys," Mako rumbled as Jesse fussed over the singed, younger man. "Jesse has the strength of ten men, and Jamieson has the brains of the same." He went silent for a while, glancing behind him as a few people in the background seemed to organize a bucket-chain with the autonomy that comes only with practice and familiarity. "On the few occasions those ten minds can agree on one thing, he's brilliant. His skill with explosives will come in handy for you," Mako finished.

 

"Explosives, huh?" Gabriel mumbled. "Not something I associate with were-creatures."

 

"Well, get ready to change you mind, mate! If ya need somethin' blown, I'm your guy!" Jamieson laughed before nudging Jesse in the ribs. "Ain't that right, huckleberry?" he added with a wide grin, bringing a blush and a smirk to Jesse's face.

 

With a noncommittal hum, Gabriel looked around at the surrounding tents and people. They had an army now. A strange, diverse army, but a damn powerful one. And it would be his job to make them all work together. The task loomed over him like a great beast in a flimsy leash. One quick pull and he'd lose control.

 

"There is something you should know, Commander," Mako rumbled after a while. "Some of my kin have kept an eye out during their travels. They asked me to tell you that they have seen more demons in more organized groups." Gabriel nodded with a small sigh.

 

"That matches our own observations, I fear we'll have to move quickly..."

 

"And some of them have seen angels as well," Mako added.

 

Gabriel froze. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jack do the same.

 

"Are they certain?" he asked hesitantly, making Mako nod with a grunt. Worrying the inside of his cheek, Gabriel considered the implications for a bit. With a polite nod he turned to leave, gesturing for Jack to follow him.

 

"We'll need to hurry up," he grumbled as they hurried back towards the base. "We'll need to get everyone ready, we should move on the first pillar within a week." Beside him, Jack waved his hand to bring up a magical, translucent screen displaying various runes and texts.

 

"We might be pushing it, Gabe. We got the manpower, but I worry about how well we'll work together at this point," the wizard said as a few hand-swipes moved the symbols around as he walked.

 

"Can we afford to wait?"

 

"Probably not," Jack sighed quietly. Gabriel hummed in agreement and allowed himself to shut out the rest of the world as he thought about what they would do next. There was still so much left to do. In just a few days he had to organize a plan, figure out how to approach the Omnium Pillar, what they would do if it didn't work and what they would do if the backup-plan didn't work and...

 

"Gabe." Jack's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. They had made it as far as the gates of the fortress without him realizing it. A gloved hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Breathe," Jack urged gently. Gabriel did, taking in a big breath filled with the scent of the bustling camps, the earthy tones of the fortress and Jack.

 

"You can do this, Gabe. _We_ can do this," Jack whispered, making Gabriel nod automatically.

 

"Yeah. Yeah, we're going to make it. Together," he muttered, one hand coming up to gently grip Jack's wrist. He gave it a light squeeze, coupled with a smile towards the wizard.

 

"Together," Jack agreed with a small smile on his own. Then, with a quick glance to their sides, Jack leaned in and gave Gabriel's cheek a small kiss. With a quick grin the wizard stepped away and made his way into the fortress, leaving Gabriel with a dazed expression and a growing smile.

 

Above, the clouds rolled and coiled. A storm was no doubt coming, one way or another. Gazing up at the heavens, then down at the ground Gabriel steeled himself and grinned.

 

"Come at us, you bastards," he muttered before he followed Jack into the base.

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Where the Rising Demon Meets the Fallen Angel [Art Collab]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11452164) by [orenjimaru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orenjimaru/pseuds/orenjimaru), [orotea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orotea/pseuds/orotea)




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